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LECTURES

ON THE

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST}

REV. H. LANTON.

PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST OP THE QUAR-
TERLT MEETING.

MONTREAL :

PRINTED BY WILSON & NOLAN, M'GILL STREET.

1855.

;

PREFACE.

The Second Coming of Christ is a subject of
such thrilling interest to his church, that it has
occupied the attention of able men in every
age of the gospel dispensation ; but, as might
have been expected, upon this, as well as
every other truth revealed in the Scriptures,
great diversity of opinions has prevailed, and
not a few of them have been of the most
erroneous and conflicting character.

For some years past, the Second Coming of
our blessed Redeemer has, at different periods,
been announced ai at hand ; the excitement
thereby produced has been, not un frequently,
followed by bad consequences ; churches have
been traduced as " Babylon," — Christian Min-
isters as '* false prophets," and " wolves in
shoep's clothing," — and the sheep, in many

^\ :ii.5^

^' PREFACE.

instances, have been induced to forsake the
fold, and to follo'.v those wild and frantic men
in the barren regions of human speculations,
till sober truth and humble piety have been
injured in the midst of strife, envy, and censo-
riousness.

The re-appearance and indefatigable zeal
of those persons, in holding meetings, distri-
bating books, and in compassing sea and land
to make ^proselytes, led the author to do his
utmost in taking care of the flock of Christ
over which he was made overseer. These
lectures were prepared and delivered to correct
what is considered erroneous in the opinions
of the "Adventists;" and to supply infor-
mation to guard the people against those delu-
sions which were so rampant. Having per-
formed this labor, however imperfectly, the
author supposed these lectures would only
live in the recollection of those who heard
them. But the desire of several friends, the
request of the official members in their Quar-

PREFACE.

terly Meeting, the fact that nothing- is circu-
lated in these parts to counteract the errors
referred to, and the possibility that those rest-
less spirits would again agitate the public
mind,— overcame the strong objections in the
author's mind, and he has consented to pub-
lish this work, notwithstanding, its imperfec-
tions.

The present little volume is designed for
circulation chiefly among the rural churches
of the frontier, where they have been most
exposed to the incursions of itinerating " A(i-
ventists ;" and, it is hoped, that while persons
of severe criticism might find many faults in
it, others may read it to their edification.
Numerous and extensive ^dotations have
been introduced, chiefly to place the different
points more prominently and forcibly before
the reader, and also to excite and promote a
more general desire for reading in the coun-
try parts of this Province.

With sincere and earnest prayers, the wri-

VI.

PREFACE.

tor submits his work to candid Christian
readers, trusting that « when Christ, who is
our Hfe, shall appear, then shall ye also appear
with him in glory.*'

H. L.

LECTURE I. PAGE

The Second Advent of Christ is the hope of the
Christian Church 9

LECTURE n.
Errors Respecting the Time of the Second Advent 27

LECTURE TIL
The Work to be Done between Christ's Ascension
to Heaven and His Second Advent ; Discipling
all Nations 1^3

LECTURE IV.

The Work to be Done, &c. ; The Destruction of
Antichrist 95

LECTURE V.

The Work to be Done, Ac. ; The Restoration of
the Jews 2 oa

LECTURE VI.
The Millennium ; Pre-Millennial Views , 175

Vlll. CONTENTS.

LECTURE Vir. PAGE

The Millennium: Post-Millennial Views 211

LECTURE virr.

The Little Season 245

LECTURE IX.

The Second Advent itself ; The Resurrection from
the Dead 272

LECTURE X.
The Actual Appearing of Christ 297

LECTURE XL
The General Judgment 233

LECTURE XIL
The Conflagration , , , ^ 3(51

LECTURE XIIL
The New Creation ^89

LECTURE XIV.
Concluding Address 425

LECTUEES.

LECTURE I.

THE SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST IS THE HOPS
OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

' Phil. iii. 20.
—We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.'*

The second Advent of Christ is a subject
largely dwelt upon in the Holy Scriptures
and It IS set forth in a variety of expressions'
each being adapted to the time when thj
words were used, the persons to whom they
were addressed, or the particular effect it was
intended to produce. We can only transcribe
a few of th*e passages which relate to that
event : " For the Son of Man shall co^ne in
the glory of His Father, with His angels ; and
then he shall reward every man according to
his warks^'^MM, xvi. 27. « The day of the
Lord will come as a thief in the ni^ht "—2
Pot. iii. 9, 10. « When His glory shall be re.

i !

LECTURES ON THK

vealedJ*^ — 1 Peter, iv. 13. " Be 'ye therejore
ready also ; for the Son of Man cometh at an
how when ye think notP — Luke xii. 40. But
it becomes us to observe, that some of those
expressions which refer to the second Advent
of Christ, are also applied to other events^ — for
instance : St. Paul, speaking of his conver-
sion to God, and his call to the Christian

Ministry, says : " Tt pleased God who

called rie by His grace to reveal his Son

in me,' that I might preach Him among the
heathen."— Gal. i. 15,15.

Similar language is used by the sacred
writers, when temporal judgments are threat-
ened. " The day of the Lord is at hand ; it
shall come as a destruction from the Almighty

.Behold, the day of the Lord cometh,

cruel both w^ith w^rath and fierce anger, to
lay the land desolate ; and He shall destroy
the sinners thereof out of it." — jpi. xiii. 6, 9.
<« Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud,
and shall come into Egypt ; and the idols of
Egypt shall be moved at his presence." — Isa.
xix. 1. Such like words have also been used
to denote the death of an individual, and that
with T^roDrietv. as we are then called to an^

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

pear before Him ; or to be present with the
Lord ; — hence, believers have applied to them-
selves the advice of Christ : " Watch, there-
fore, for ye know not what hoar your Lord
doth come Therefore, be ye also rea-
dy ; for in such an hour as ye think not, the
Son of Man cometh." — Matt. xxiv. 42, 44.

The coming of the Lord in all these res-
pects, however, is not to limit our faith and
hope, as if He were not to come in any other
manner ; for his second appearing will be far
more extensively important to the human
race, and followed with much greater results
than have attended His coming in any of the
above ways. Let us then proceed to consider
this GLORIOUS EVENT itsclf, the second appear-
ing of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a matter
in which we are so much concerned, that it
is exceedingly desirable that our expectation
of it should be based upon the surest founda-
tion. To assist us in this object of our faith,
let us listen to the words of prophecy as they
were uttered by wise and good men under
the influence of plenary inspiration : Enoch
prophesied, " Behold the Lord cometh with

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▲2

■ V —

LieCTUaES ON THB

(xix. 25) says, ^<For 1 know that my Redeemer
hveth, and that HesJioIl stand at the latter day
upon the earth, Abraham " looked for a city
which hath foundations, whose builder and
maker is God."— Heb. xi. 10. « He knew
that earth could afford no permanent residence
for an immortal mind : and he looked for that
heavenly building of which God is the Archi-
tect and Owner : in a word, he lost sight of
earth, that he might keep heaven in view."—
Dr. Clarke. The Psahni&t, 1. 1, 6, says : « The
mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and
called the earth from the rising of the sun
imto the going down thereof, &c." In Isaiah,
XXV. 6, 7, 8, 9, it is written : « And in this
mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto
all people a feast of Tat things, a feast of wines
on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of
wines on the lees well refined. And He will
destroy in this moimtain the face of the cov-
ering cast over all people, and the vail that is
spread over all nations. He will swallow up
death in victory ; and the Lord God will wipe
away tea.s from off all faces ; and the rebuke
of His people shall He take away from off all
the earth : for the Lord hath spoken it. And

"X.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

it shall be said in that day, Lo ! this is our
God : we have waited for Him, and He will
save us : this is the Lord : we have waited
for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His
salvation." In this prediction, the prophet
appears to comprehend the whole Gospel dis-
pensation from its commencement to its com-
pletion. Isa. Ixiv. 1 : "Oh that Thou wouldest
rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come
down, that the mountains might flow dov/n
at Thy presence." Daniel also, in the
last chapter of his book, refers to the great
event : « And many of them that sleep in
the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and ever-
lasting contempt. And they that be wise shall
shine as the brightness of the firmament j and
they that turn many to righteousness as the
stars for ever and ever." (ver. 2, 3.) « God
came from Teman, and the Holy One from
mount Paran ! His glory covered the hea-
vens, and the earth was full of His praise.
And His brightness was as the light : He had
horns coming out of His hand : and there
was the hiding of His power. Before Him
went the pestilence, and burning coals weni

LECTURES ON THE

forth uo his feet. He stood, and measured the
earth: He beheld, and drove asunder the na-
tions ; and the everlasting mountains were
scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: His
ways are everlasting."— Hab. iii. 3, 4, 5, 6.
It is to be supposed, that if Jesns had any
intention of coming again to the children of
men, He would apprise the disciples of it, both
for their own comfort, and as a doctrine,
which they would have to teach after His
departure from them. That He did so inform
them, is very evident— for many such im-
pressive lessons are recorded by the evange-
lists : " Let not your heart be troubled : ye
believe in God, believe also in me : In my
Father's house, are many mansions : if it
■were not so, I would have told you : I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and pre-
pare a place for you, 1 will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am,
there ye may be also."— John xiv. 1, 2, 3.

Several parables delivered by Christ, were
intended not only to teach the doctrine of His
second coming, but to illustrate some of its
circumstances, and especially to set before
His people the necessity of being always

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

found ready for it ; such are the parables of
the virgins ; of the nobleman going into a
far country, and delivering his goods into the
hands of his servants for improvement,— and
his return and reckoning with them. And
then the direct application of it to His com-
ing in glory, to judge all nations, and re-
ward every person according to his works.
— Matt. XXV.

The return of Christ was an event to which
the Apostles looked as an object of faith, and
a source of comfort to them in their trials ;
It sustained them in their toils, mitigated
their sorrows, increased theii patience, bright-
ened their hope, and made them to be more
than conquerors. St. Paul, while apprehend-
ing a death of martyrdom, was enabled to
look forward- to a crown of glory, when Christ
should come to reward His people : « For I
am now ready to be offered," says he, " and
the time of my departure is at hand. I have
fought a good fight,! have finished ^7/ course,
I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid
up for me a crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give ms
at that day: and not to me only, but unto all

LECTURES ON THE

them also that love His appearing."— 2 Tim.
iv. 6, 7, 8. Again, to the Church He hath
said : « And the very God of peace sanctify
you wholly ; and I pray God your whole
spirit and soul and oody be preserved blame-
less unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:^
—1 Thess. V. 23. " For the grace of God
that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all
men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness
-and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world :
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious
appearing of the gyeat God and our Saviour
Jesus Christ:'— Tit, ii. 11, 12, 13. "And as
it is appointed unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment : So Christ was once offer-
ed to bear the sins of many ; and unto them
that look for Him shall he appear the second
time tvithout sin unto salvation^'' — Heb. ix.
27, 28. " That the trial of your faith, being
much more4)recious than of gold that perish-
eth, though it be tried with fire, might be
found unto praise and honour and glory at
the appearing of Jesus Christ:'— I Pet. i. 7.
" Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and
it doth not yet appear what we shall be : but

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

we know that, when he shall appear, we shall
be like Him : for we shall see Him as He is."
—1 John, iii. 2. To these quotations, many
others might be added ; but we presume
enough has been given for the purpose of
showuag beyond doubt, that the second Ad-
vent of our blessed Lord, is a truth fully and
clearly taught in the Holy Scriptures.
^ When we consider the blessed results of
Christ's second coming, we find abundant
reason why Christians should « look for," yea,
long for the re-appearance of the Divine Re-
deemer. The curse which fell upon man, upon
his body, upon his soul, upon his habitation,
in a word, upon all that covers the earth's
surface ; and then remember, that the curse
will be removed with its long train of evils,
sickness, sorrow, pain, and death ; and that
the blessing of immortal life will then be
ushered in ; the burthen of sin will be ex-
changed for the ^'far mare exceeding and eter^
nal weight of glory P Death shall no longer
reign over the children of men, for ''there
shall be no more death} they will be " before
the throne of God, and serve Him day and
night in His temple ; and Ho that sitteth oa

A 5

the throne shall dwell among them ; and they
shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more;
neither sh.ll the sun light on them, nor any
heat ; for the Lamb which is in the midst of
the throne shall feed them, and shall lead
them unto living fountains of waters: and
bod shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes."— Rev. vii. 15, 16, 17.

In contemplation of this glorious state, we
cry out from our inmost soul, « Thy Kingdom
comer we hail with unutterable emotion
every m,dication of its approach ; when the
archangel, wUh the voice of Almighty God
shall issue His summons to the sleepers in
death's dark charnel house ; when the wait-
ing weary pilgrim, who has endured unto the
end, shall rejoice to meet his Saviour in the
air.

Seeing, then, that we look for such thino-g
" what manner of persons ought we to belli
all holy conversation and godliness?" and yet
multitudes of persons are so much ensrossed
m the affairs of this life, that thev seem to
forget their days are numbereil, and their end
draweth nigh. Let them ponder the words
of Christ, « Wha' is a man profited, if he

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

should gain the whole world, and lose his
own soul ? or what shall a man irive in ex-
chano-e for his soul ] For the Son of Man
shall come in the glory of His Father, with
His angels ; and then shall He reward every
man according to his works."— Matt. xvi.
56, 27. These solemn questions and an-
aiouncements of Christ should operate as a
warning upon the thoughtless and worldly,
and induce them to lay up ^a treasure in
heaven.

But we look more especially to the profes-
sors of religion for such effects,* as the coming
of Christ is calculated to produce. Many c^
them, alas ! have only a name to live while
they are dead, although formally connected
with the Church of Christ. They have
never been grafted into the living vine ; they
have assumed the form of godliness without
obtaining its power; they are the sleeping
virgu]s who have their lamps, but they have
^o oil in them ; and when they are trimmed
they blaze but for a moment, and then in
«moke expire,— they are go7ie out; and when
they have gone to buy oil, the bridegroom
•wdl come, and the door will he slitit, there-

tECTURlS OW THB

by excluding those who were not readr
and watching for his coming. Let ho'e
B umbenng professors « awake and arise from
he dead and Christ shall give them 4ht?
so that when « the Lord Jesus Christ shall
be revealed from heaven, with His mighty

Ertt"'"^ ^"' ^^'^'"^ veng^ancrol

ro?s;:irour^^^^^^^

fesSr« T>T *° !!" "^f ""'' backslidden pro-
lessor, Ivomember therefore from whence
«-u art fallen, and repent, and do the firsi
works ; or else I will come unto thee qnickl v
and w,ll remove thy candlestick ouT^n L'
place, except thou repent.»-Kev. ii. 5. The
servant who hid his talent, was cast into outer
darkness, where there is weeping and gnash
..g of teeth."_Matt. xxv. 30. He was p't"
.shed, not for extravagance, not for was'L:

or mjurmg his Lord's money, but for hid ;:

t,-for neglecting to improve it. How man^

alents are buried in the church, which 72

o be employed in the work of Jhe Lord t

lents for training children in the way hey

SrCOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 21

Should go ; talents for awakening sinners by
private conversation ; talents for comforting
the afflicted, and pointing them to Him who
by the grace of God, tasted death for every
inan ; talents for building up the Church upon
Us most holy faith ; talents for sendiug the
Bible and the Missionary to the ends of the
earth. Oh ! ye slumbering professors, what
talents have you? how are they employed?
ihe Master will come to you and to me. He
may come quicUy ; what shall be our re-
ward ?

Let us address a few words to those who
are « looking for and hasting unto the comin<r
of the day of God." You may be found, at
present, in all the varied circumstances of
life, to which man is heir ; no small share of
suffering has been appointed to some of you
and these afflictions are not joyous but gnev-'
oiis; yet even now, you may find they yield
\\i^ peaceallc fndU of righteousness ; and thev
are working out for us a far mare exceeding
and eternal weight of glory." « For I reckon '»
says St. Paul, « that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in

I.ECTURES ON THH

ns. Be patient, therefore, brethren, nnto
the coming of the Lord." If now you have
protracted suffering, then there will be a
complete release ! If „ow you liave a great
fight of affliction, then you will have an un-
disturbed and eternal peace ! If „ow vou
are absent from the Lord, then you shall be
present with Him.

But the doctrine of Christ's second Advent
IS also designed to encourage the hope of the
Christian believer ; this expectation of see-
ing Christ, and being " ii/ce Him," has o-iven
nse to the desire, that He would come guick.
ly ; U has prompted men of ardor to be al
most impatient at His apparent delay; and
hence their miscalculations have resulted in
disappointment and shame. But there are
others wlio have no less confidence in Christ's
second appearing ; but they think the time is
not yet ; and they are attending to the words
of the Apostle, "/.o^,, to the e,zd for the grace
that IS to be brought unto you at the rcvelatwn
of Jesus Christ /" they remember the words
of the Saviour, " take ye heed, watch and w-av
Jor ye know not when the time is."

Is the follower of Christ to be stimulated

«ECOin> ADVENT OP CHRIST. 83

to fidelity and constancy, amidst all the per-
plex.ties and discouragements of life, let him
attend to the ,.-ords of the beloved Apostle,
whose matured piety and long experience
qualified hun to give the best advice : " And
now httle children, abide in Him, that when
He shall appear, we may have confidence
and not be ashamed before Him at His
coming."

Is the Church to bo urged to greater de-
grees of heavenly muidedness, so as to coun-
teract the gilded attractions of this transitory
state ? what is so calculated to refine and ele-
vate Its taste and desires, as the prospect of
being at the marriage supper of the Lamb ;
to whom, as his bride, the Church is affi-
anced. " If ye, then, be risen witli Christ
seek those things which are above, where'
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set
your affections on things above, not on thin-s
on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life
IS hid with Christ in God. When Christ
who IS our life, shall appear, then shall yj
also appear with Him in glory."_Col. iii. 1-4,
The truly spiritual Church of Christ ear-
nestly desires His coming,-it has done so

LECTURES ON TH«

ever ».nce John struck that note, « Even so,
Come, Lord Jesns ;" the spiritual presence of
the Saviour is no substitute for his persona!
presenc. The faith of the believer,^"not
a grace that is to last forever." Faith is the
telescope that we use to see, and catch some
g-eam of glory of the distant personal Christ:
his dispensation itself shall pass away ; and
taith, which 13 so precious now, shall be lost
and merged in sight. Faith here is but a
temporary thing ; it is b„t a substitute for
sight,_it IS not to supersede or render it un-
necessary So John, the beloved disciple,
who lived nearest to Christ, who leaned ujon
His bosom at supper; John was so little sa-
tisfied with seeing by faith, that from the
commencement of the Apocalypse to its close,
he longs to see Christ by sight : « Come
Lo d Jesus." The friend is not satisfied
with epistolary intercourse with his friend —
he longs to see him in the flesh. The bride
IS not satisfied that the bridegroom should be
dista„t,-she longs for his presence. The
Christian Church is not satisfied that the
Lord should be beyond the horizon,-she
longs and prays, « Come, Lord Jesu3."_Dr
Cumming in Apoc. p. 395.

SECOND ADVSNT OP CHRIST. 25

In concluding these remarks, we would say,
that the Church is in a state of widowhood
the bridegroom is taken away ; the bride
the Church, is ia the wilderness of this world.'
iiut we look for the personal return of Christ
the Husband. To His spouse. He says : « Ye
now have sorrow, but I will see you again
and your heart shall rejoice ; and your ioy'
no man taketh from yon—John xvi. 19,20,

fSBB!?.-

LECTURE II.

ERRORS RESPEOmo THE *IME OP CHRIST-S
. SECOND COMING. '''"^^^^^

Acts I. 7;

the Father hath put in Hu own power."

In our last dfecourse, we were led to observe
that the second Advent of Christ has ev^r'
been the great object of the Church's hole
parfcnlarly since the angel said : "This sale
Jsus which is taken up fronr you into W

12 nTm r°T r "'° '"^""«^' - y« have
semi Him go into heaven."_Acts i. 2. But

although the angel did not say when ChriS
return should take place, yet men have 1
Slimed to lift up the veil of futuritv a.Id
into the hidden things of God, tdlll IJ
mulated by an ardent desire and a viviSlma
gmation, they have ransacked the annXof
chronology; they have noted down raemora
ble events and occurrences; they haveTet
^.gns in the sun, in the moon, 'and in ^^

LECTURES ON THE

Stars; and then, with the greatest presiimi>-
tion, they hnve told the world, the very day
when Christ shall appear. How much bet-
ter would it have been, if they had regarded
the words of Christ, spoken in reply to the
question, « Wilt thou at this time restore
again tlio Kingdom to Israel." 7 he Saviour
said : " It is not for you to know the times,
or the seasons, which the Father hath put in
His own power." But as this rebuke has
often been disregarded, and the time of
Christ's second Advent frequently set, espe-
cially within the past ten or twelve years, we
shall now —

First, refer to some of those errors respect-
ing the TIME of Christ's second Advent:—

The disciples themselves mistook some of
our Lord's predictions, respecting the destruc-
tion of Jerusalem, and applied them to His
second Advent. For instance, when they
had shew-n Christ the buildings of the tem-
ple. He informed them that a time was com-
ing, when there should not be left one stone
of them upon another, that should not be
thrown down.— Matt. xxiv. 1, 2, 3. The as-
tonished disciples said : « Tell us when shall

I !'!f

SECOtTD ADVENT Of CHRIST. ^9

these things be, and what shall

of Thv

be tho sign

ri-,,- / ''°"''"^' """ M tie end of the world "
Chnst gave them the signs of the times par

oS'r "^ :'"" '^-■"-'-" *ouid be'd :

mneduuely concerned ; He also gave si^ns
of H,s second Advent. But as to the time of
His .econa conring, and tke en.1 ojlZllJ
Jesus saitl, « Bui or fl,r,f , , ^'^^

z:^ ir;:' 'if'- ^*^ *'" ^^^^^ *-

r/ie/-. And then He o-ave thprr. fi • i
« 'Pol, I -, b^ve mem this advice*

Take ye heed, watch and nn v • f. i '

notwheathetimeis.»-SxSL3r
Upon the above text th^ a / . ' '

remark: "If the abovV^ '^'*^"""°'-^ «"«

the definite time of the ZoS "^ J ^^^^^^^^

heaven they equally prove tLts^ir
elf wdl never understand the time -ft
that which is affirmed concerning m'
also affirmed concerning Christ bttt'u"
pose that the Lord will „ot knox^ the ^ ^
His second glorious appearing for th« ITi
vationofHispeople^LU^i/r,^;--
-.3 to suppose that which is supreSy

LECTURES ON THE

absurd and preposterous."- This statement
proceeds upon the supposition, that if such
knowledge be communicated to Christ Jesus,
It must necessarily be made known to men
also 5 we do not see the necessity of this and
we are quite inclined to think, that the glori-
fied humanity of Christ in heaven, may have
been made acquainted with the time of His
second Advent. But it is pretty evident, that
no one on earth knows when that time will
arrive, for those persons who profess to have
that knowledge, and have foretold the very day
when It should occur, have been so frequent-
ly mistaken, that it clearly appears they do
not know the time j and therefore we can
have no confidence in their future predic-
tions.

" It is worthy of remark," says Dr. Un-
wick, « that the only errors mentioned in the
New Testament, respecting the time of our
Lord's coming, all consist in dating it too
early:' I shall give several examples : 1st.
The case of the servant represented, as say^

* Grand Crisis, P- 233ri^his'^^;i~;^cir^^
have been prepared by one individual, was '^ issued bv
request of the Advent Brethren," so that, we must look
«pon It as a Standard Work of 'those persons

SECONP ADVENT OP CHRIST. 31

ing, « my Lord delayeth His corainff" Th»
servant had taken „p a wrong impr;;';' '„ of
he date when his master was to be looked
for? and as his master did not show himself
«ccordmg to that false date, the servant,^
stead of d,str„stmg his own understand n.^
memory or calculation, as the case „S

wouTd T " """"^''°"' *'-'• "- "-£r

sTa cteaT r"'^'" '"' ""''' P--''-d, and
so acted to h,s rmn. (Has not this case been

rcpeateJly realized amnn„. ti

ti,i y ^'''^'izei among the expectants of

the pre-millenniul Advent?) The next in
stance adduced hun, tt ■ , '""

nobleman Tn f '^''''' " *''^' "^ «!«

(that IS the disciples) " about an immediate
appearmg, he int.mates that both His c^'d
Advent and the appearing of the Kmgdom "1
tt c'e^r irr^ """ "' ^ considen^i^in. !

v^r^+ +1 , ^ ^^^Jstcike, shows i>

no to have been H,s wi.-l that th y shiuld
look upon those events as at hand."/ "

ClSt'sTn r'-"^^'"'"^ *he time of
^'tiiist s second commg, arose it, th. ni i

• Quoted bj Brown, pT 4i7

LECTURES ON TUB

St. Paul liad written his fi

rst epistle to that

for

Churcl. >„ w,Hch l>e i.sed tl.ese words: " lor
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven

w,th a shout with the voice of the arcran-
ge , and w,th the t.n.np of God ; and the
dead ,„ Christ shnll rise fast ! then we which
are ahve and remain, shall be cauglu up to^^e.
ther wath them in the clcds, to n.eet t\o
Lord zu he mr : and so shall we be ever witli
the Lord. Wlierefore comfort one another
With these w«r<ls."_i Thcss. iv. 10, 17 IS

It appears th.t some teachers among th'e
Thessalonmns had so interpreted the ^bov"
paragraph, as to le.-ul tl.e Charch to exn-ct
the ,perd^, coming „J Chrht ; and tluU it
wonld take place in l.heh- o^on day. wL",
the apostle heard of this error, he-^wrote h"
second ep,stle, m which he labours to correct
the.r v,ews upon the subject, sayin. « Now
we beseech you, brethren, by the c;mi„g Jf

Z ^™"' , •'""" '^''^' ^"'^ '^y °« gather-
ing together unto Bin,, that ye be n^t sooa

shaken n, mn.d, or be troubled, neitlrer b^

.pr,t, nor by word, nor by letter as W

«», as that the day of Christ is at hand. lS

no mat. dece.ve you I y any raeans.''.-2 Th J

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. S3

«• 1, 2, 3. In this the apostle gently insin
»ates, that false brethren had rn.,ZlZ
them co„cernn,g the day of Chr st, and he
"rges t,t « they be not soon shaken in
«^.nd;" that is, disturbed or agitated, by any
means, wh.ch those persons may ^J^iJ.

tended spirit of prophecy which these false
brethren may assert they have ; "nor toord^'
which they may report me to have spoken :
nor by letter as from us,'' that is, any for-ed
letter, which these false brethren may say has
come from us, announcing that the day of
Christ IS chronologically at hand. You per
ceive that a pretended spirit of prophecy I'lis
construing, or misrepresenting Paul's words
and forged letters, were the means by which
these false teachers introduced their error
among the Thessalonians, and against which
St. Paul here guards thorn. But the apostle
fearlessly crushes this rising error,-and how
does he crush it ? by shewing the distan..e of
that great event, viz., Christ's second com-

for that day shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of

LECTURES ON THE

sin be revealed, the son of perdition," whom
Christ the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of His month, and shall destroy with the
brightness of His coming, (ver. 3-8.) Brown
says, "the apostle's beseeching tone, shews
that he saw some peculiar evils in the error
which had crept into that Church, and he.
contemplated with grief its possible progress
among the converts to the Christian faith.—
He beseeches them not to be soon, or quickly,
as by sudden impulse, ''shaken in mind;''
agitated, disturbed, or to be " trouhlecip as
when one is, on hearing of wars, and ru-
mours of wars, by the assertion that the day
of Christ was at hand. The thing pointed
at, is such an arrestment of the mind, as tends
to unnerve it ; a feverish excitement which
tends to throw the mind oil its balance, and
so far unfit it for the duties of life,— the very
opposite of that tranquil and bright expectan-
cy which realizes the certainty rather than
the chronology/ of the Lord's coming. And I
would appeal to the whole history of pre-mil-
lennialism, whether this feverish excitability
has, or has not, been found a prevailing ele-
ment, and the parent of not a little that is

■ ECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 36

erratic both in doctrine and in practice.-
vP* *^0

In the fourth century, Lactantins and a
number of other Chil^asts, predicted the
coming of Christ, and according to them it
was to take pl.ce within two years after that
t.me i and the.r opinion was the result of in-
gunus ^nto the stchject, hy all tlu>se most skilled

;r '"'* ''''"'"'-'■ '^^'"^ Lactuntius was one of
the greatest writers in his day. But we need
not add the two centuries past away, and
Christ did not come.

In ^^^ seventeenth century, Vax^\asa^■ehnen^^
a higj pretender to a spirit of prophecy seU
't m the year 1613, induced thereto by a fond

second A^ . '■''^ra^vell, there arose a set of
second Advent men, commonly called F,nh
^narchy-^nenfmey aro described by L"
sheim, as "^rons-headed and turbulent JZ
yts, who expected Chrisfs sudden app '
ance upon earth : thev elaimprl f„ i, ',^P\°-'^'
nf rnr}\ J ., ^ Claimed to be the samts
?^:ffif!li^;i2yfxpeoted, when Christ should
• Bp. Burnett. ' ~ — ~ ~

LECTURES ON THE

I f .

come, they, as His deputies, were to govern
all things under Him." But these turbulent
enthusiasts have long been quiet in death,
and yet Christ's second Advent has not taken
place.

Dr. Adam Clarke says, '-' it has long been
the idle expectation of many persons, that
the millennium, in their sense, was at hand,
and its commencemait has been expected in
every century since the Christian era. It
has been fixed for several different years dur-
ing the short period of my own life ; I be-
lieved those predictions to be vain, and I have
lived to see them such."

We noAv come to the nineteenth, the pre-
sent century. These early errors to which
we have briefly adverted, were revived by
Mr. Miller, a Baptist Minister in the United
States ; he calculated from prophecy, chrono-
gy, history, and other sources of information,
that the second Advent of Christ should take
place in 1843. When that prediction failed,
a tarrying time of four years was announced,
and then it was stated that Christ would come,
that Christ must come, in 184.7. And I my-
self heard one of those bold men say in the

SECO.^D ADVENT OF CHRIST. 87

aays,-he was .«r. o/ it; f^r the Holy Ghost

la d tilt -" ^''' ''" ^''^^ «'-' '^-^

a!!m f "*' "'"''' "P"'' 'he hearts of Ms

who had embraced tha ' ' "* '1""'^

sHenced by the faflut If « ^^ '"''" "°* '""«

Phec.es; aL hen f Ta^tl^l T TT^"* ''"■
wintBv ti *• ' '^''' ''"t' during the

wmter, the time of Christ's second AdvenI

was a^ain appointed,_the 26th of May la,"
he day of the annular eclipse, was t Je sit'
time. It was nnWiVi„ „♦ * j ^

ed thnt pT f "" '°y ^*a*ed, correctly report-
ed, that Christ might come sooner, He mi-.ht
come the next month, or even that ;er; n" ht
but He could not be later than the sSll'

that ime, had to acknowledge his mistake in
the place where he uttered his prediction.
1854 VI r' ''"^"'" ^'^ «"d the vear

ng the t me when Christ's second Advent is
to take place. We shall introd.^e the argu
ments by which they endeavour to sup^rt

LECTURES ON THE

their opinions, when we treat upon the pro-
phecies from which they draw their conclu«
sions.

There appears some incougrnity in their
statements, in different parts of their books,
as the following extract will show, when
compared with the above : « Ajrain it is evi-
dent the wise virgins themselves were not in
full preparation to meet their Lord when the
cry was sounded. They were awakened from
their sleep, arose upon their feet, and trimmed
their lamps ;" all of which constituted a part
of the preparation. But it is plain, from
other portions of God^s truth, that the trans-
formation from mortality to immortality, will
be instantaneous, as the ligiitning's flash,
when the last trump shall sound ; and no
previous warning, it appears, will be given to
render the time of Christ's appearing S^rtain,
as it would be, if announced by celestial
beings to the saints; otherwise they would
not be associated with the worldling in the
same field, or at the same mill, in the com-
mon avocations of life nor reposing on the
couch. Had the erring brethren contented
themselves with stating that certain eveuta

SECO.VB ADVEJ.T OP CHRIST. 39

foretuid .„ ,eripu„e, as preceding, the com-

look <^U fof Ihe V ' '^' ""'^' "^^ "P°" *«
heed watlh ^ ^"^"'"'•'-^e must "take
need watcn and pray, then no fault could be
found wuh their statements. E„t when thev
assert that Christ «„// ., ^

and tl^t they are not mistaken thu time and
that they cannot be mistaken ;-we /,«S
nay we ,,,,,,,, «--• ^^ we are p^d

IZ.^.. """ "'^ "^ ^^■"'^'^'^^'' °- -

We do not find that the time of the second

so 21" !""'"' '■" *^ ^^'^"^'"-•' *"« ^s
so much obscurity about some of their Scrin-

«rc dates, that there is no certainty wh ',
he time to which they are applied began so

ermirTt'r"'""--'^-^*'^^?"^^'
tcrmmato. Look, for instance, to the seventy

weeks spoken of by Daniel ; when thS
weelcs began and ended, is, even to this day
thr,9o7 1 ^•'"^°;°«*'^°^«sy. Look, also, to
the 1290 days of ^ntichristian rule (Daniel
xu. Z); the beginlng and end of this period
IS confessedly unsettled. Bishop Newton, a
pre-miUennarian says, " the question wa.. ast-

410

LECTURES ON THE

ed, not only how long the daily sacrifice
shall be taken away, and the transgression of
desolation continue, but also how long the
vision shall last ; so the answer is to be under-
stood, and these 2,300' days denote the whole
time from the begining of the vision to the
cleansing of the sanctuary. The sanctuary
is not yet cleansed, and consequently these
years are not yet expired. * * * It is diffi-
cult to fix the precise time, when the prophetic
dates begin and when they end, till the pro-
phecies are fulfilled, and the event declares
the certainty of them." *

l»ut let us proceed to examine some pas-
sages of Scripture which are supposed to point
definitely to the period of Christ's second
Advent.

Daniel ii. 31,-35 j and the interpretation
Which we have in verses 37 45. In this
pi ophecy, there are four monarchies mention-
ed, the last of them is the Imperial govern-
ment of Pagan Rome. The " little stone cut
out of the mountain" smites this fourth mon-
archy and demolishes it; then the ''little
stone" is spoken of as increasing till it fills

• Di9. on Prop., p. 290.

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 41

the Whole earth,-and it shall stand for ever."
But the prophecy does not say when this « lit-
le stone" shall fill the whole earth ; .^ L re-
ly speaks of the fcu^t, tJuu it shall be. i
prophecy then proves .^^n, as to the ttl

The?"f '"'°"' ''''"''"* ^'^'^U t=»ke place.

_ i* , and Its uUerpretation in verses 16-28.
In this prophecy, Daniel has anotl^, ,,-,^ ^f
the same subiect wit), +i,„ i ix- •"""' oi

horn " A^ o x ' T ® addition of a " ^«i</e

W (ver. 8,) which is said to have " eves
I'ke the eyes of a man, and a mouth speS
2 g-at things." This " httle hor ''1^
derstood to be the Popedom. The J ™
ar.e trial .M final destruction of th Wh
beast ; and the little horn which grew ou of
It, IS described in verses 9-11 : "I belu Vn
the thrones were cast down, a;d the Sen
of days cbd sit, whose garment was wl Sa
snow, and the hair of II,s head like the pure
wool : Hxsthrone was like the fiery flame,' d
His wheels as burning fire ; a fiery st e "m
issued and came fo.th from before hxm, thZ
sand thousands ministered unto him, and ten
thousand tunes ten thousand stood before him •
the judgment was set, and the Books were

LECTURES ON THfi

opened. I beheld then because of the voice
of the irreat words which the horn spake :
1 beheld even till the beast tvas slaiuy and
His body dcMrm/rd, and given to the burning
flame." The eternal God is here represent-
ed aflcr the manner of an eastern Judge sit-
ting in a grand assize to judge the fourth
beast, who is found guilty, and destroyed.
This is not spoken of the general judgement
of the great day, for it precedes the destruc-
tion of Antichrist : but it is a particular judge-
ment upon the foiu'th beast and the little horn.
This prophecy makes no mention as totlie time
when the fourth beast and little horn, popery,
should be destroyed; but the int&qv'etation
does^(ycY. 21, 22): "I beheld and the same
horn made^war witli the saints, and prevail-
ed against them ; tifitil the Ancient of days
came, and judgment was given unto the
saints of the most High ; and the time came
that the saints possessed the kingdom."
Again, in verses 25-27, it is said of the little
horn, '' he sliall spenk great words against the
most High, and shall Avear out the saints of
the most High, and think^to change times
and laws \ and they shall be given into Hia

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

hand until a time and times and the dividing
of time. But the judgement shall sit, and
they shall take away his dominion to consume
and to destroy it unto the end." Not to
dwell upon the obscurity of the words " time,
times and the dividing of time ;" we would
ask, does this time, here mentioned, refer to
the second Advent of Christ? we answer no ;
but it refers to the co7itinua7icc n.Y\di final des-
truction of the "little horn," which we be-
lieve represents Popery. This is evident, for
both in the vision, and in the interpretation
of it, the continuance of time and eve7tts, are
still spoken of; in verse 22, we find His con-
tinued existence is mentioned until the An-
dent of days came, and judgynent ivas given,
that is, the sentence was pronounced,— then,
after that time, the saints shall possess the
kingdom, and its universal extent is speedily
accomi^lished, for it is said, vcr 27, " And the
kingdom and dominion, and the great men of
the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall
be given to the people of the saints of the
most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and
obey Him." This prophecy, and ." ts interpre-

LECTURES ON THB

tetion shew that the "little horn" shall U
destroyed after some period, here called « a
time times and the dividing of time." But

after the dcstnictton of tU little horn, untUcdl
^^-^^-l^^^^'-ll serve and obey Christ! Neltht
does the prophecy shew ^hen our Lord iviU
come, even after his kingdom has become „„i-

vises 5-|«'\T.' *^ interpretation is' in
lame., f ■ ^'' ^'"'^'^'^''^ ^^^'^ *» the
Zdef t "^r^'-°'"'^^ -"d events already
alluded to in the preceding propnecies : but

prophe heard one angel ask another, (ver.
13. How long shall be the vision of the
]ati«.T^r,' *^ *--g--on of dest!

o be' ? ']r °*'' *''^ ^^"'^"'^^y ""-i «'e host
to be trodden under foot." The answer
pven, (ver. 14), is ,,,1^ 2,300 days • a'S
(ver. 19), the angel said t^ Danie -I'S
make thee know what shall be in tht la t Ind
of the indignation ; for at the time appointed
the end shall be." These 2,300 dayTa^e to

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

be taken for prophetic days, that is, for years.
But the question is, when did these 2,300
years begin 1 This question is not at all set-
tied by the learned ; and even the Adventists
themselves are not agreed as to when the
first part of this prophecy was fulfilled, and
when the latter part of it shall be accom-
phshed. Mr. Berick says: "But we turn
again to Daniel viii., where the inquiry is
made, « ^ How long the Vision concerning the
daily sacrifice, and the transgression of deso-
lation, to give both the sanctuary and the
host to be trodden under foot? and he said
unto me. Unto two thousand and three liun-
dred days; then shall the sanctuary be
cleansed.' "

" Now, if: this period of time is to com-
mence with the restoration of the daily wor-
ship or offerings under Nehemiah, B. C. 445,
or, according to some chronolog^rs, 446 it
will terminate in A. D. 1855, or, at the latest,
m the spring of 1856, when we may expect
the sanctuary to be cleansed.

" In the above arrangement, it will be seen
that the event that marks the commence-
ment of the 2,300 days, is the restoration of

I !

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the Jewish worship, or daily sacrifice, B. C.

445."*

You perceive that the above calculation is
based upon a mere sujoposition, that the 2,300
days began with the restoration of the daily
worship or offerings under Nehemiah, B. C
445, or 446, But, as the author of the Grand
Crisis says, " this position was first suggested
by those now preaching the coming of the
Lord in 1854." And so far as we know, this
commencement of the 2300 days has not been
applied to the time of Nehemiah by any other
class' of writers. That the beginning of the
2,300 days is still uncertain, from the fact,
that the daily sacrifice was taken away at
otJier periods besides the one when Israel was
carried into Babylon. For instance, it was
taken away by Antiochus Epiphanes, when
he pillaged the temple ; and as Josephus
says, "he forbade the Jews to offer those
daily sacrifices, which they used to offer to
God according to the law." Daniel speaks
of its discontinuance to be 2,300 years, which
cannot be applied to its cessation during the
Babylonish captivity, as it was restored" and
• Grand Crisis, p. 94.

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

tak m away subsequently to that time. Mr.
Miller himself thought the " daily sacrifice,"
referred to here by Daniel, was Faganism,
and A. D. 508, to be the period when it
was ''taken away," and believing "the abo-
mination of desolation" to be Popery, he
deemed the decree of Justinian, to be the
point where it was set up.* Thus, we have
a difference of opinion among the Adventists
themselves, as to the commencement of the
2,300 days ; Mr. Berick making it 445 years
before the birth of Christ, and Mr. Miller reck-
oning it 508 years after the Urth of Christ :
thus they are 953 years apart from each other
upon this point.

Dr. Gumming applies this prophecy to Mo-
hammedanisyn, by several -g^^nients, in which
he shews that the " little horn" here men-
tioned could not be Antiochus Epiplmnes, nor
the Roman Power ; and that the people who
were to suffer, were not the Jews, but Chris-
timis. Concerning the 2,300 day.^, he says :
*' When did the 2,300 years, at the enA o\
which, this " little horn" was to fail, begin ?
and at what period, therefore, may it be sup-

• Grand Crisis, p. 82. "

--1

LECTURES ON TUB

posed that its prosperity closed ? It is not
the date of the rise but of the decay of Ma-
homedanisra that is here indicated. The two
dates, at one of which the 2,300 must
commence, are either the year 538 B. C
when the supremacy of the Persian and Ma-
cedonian empire began, or the year 480 B. C
just prior to the defeat of Xerxes on his inva-
sion of Greece. The one period is the com-
mencement of the Persian dynasty ; the se-
cond, IS the era of its meridian, or its noon-.

tide power and glory Take the meridian

glory of Persia as its commencement : and
then we shall find that the end of the 2 300
years will bring us down to A. D. 1S20.»'

Bishop Newton says, « When these C2 3001
years shall be expired, then their end will
clearly shew from whence their beginnino- is
to be dated, whether from the vision of fte
ram, or of the he-goat, or of the little horn "
The uncertainty of the date when the 2 300
years began, renders it impossible to say when
they shall end ; hence the great obscurity of
this prophecy respecting the time of its fulfil-
ment.!

• Lectures on Daniel, p. 27o
t Di3. on Prop., pp. 289, 299.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHIIIST. 49

As it is not necessary that we should settle,
tins point, and fix the beginning and end of
the ^,300 years, we proceed to observe the
great object of this prophecy, is to shew, that
although the enemies of Christ shall prevail
lor a long time, yet they shall ultimately be
va„qu,,hed. This prophecy, then, refers to
^\i<> deuructton of Chri^^s enemies, and not to
the time of his second Advent.

Another prophecy, is Daniel xi. 40 : "And
at the time of the end, shall the king of the
sou h push at him : and the king of the north
shall come against him like a whirlwind, with
chanots, and with horsemen, and with many
ships and he shall enter into the countries,
and shall overflow, and pass over." Mr Be-
nck says, on these events : « And the kin-
of the north shall come against him." It is
obvious that the power to be pushed against,
IS, that "certain king" namely, Turkey, for
It IS spoken of as distinct from « the king of
the south" and " the king of the north."
After tracing the history of the Western em-
pire, the prophet returns to the Eastern em-
pire, and planting his feet on the seat of
government, the metropolis of that vast Ea*.

LECTURES ON THiS

pire, now under the dominion of the Turks,
and viewing the kingdoms from that point of
observation, he calls Egypt « the king of the
south," because it is the only kingdom lying
m that direction ; and Russia, " the king of
the north," because it is the only power situ-
ated toward that point of the compass. With-
out going into the minuta) of its history,
(Egypt), from that time until the present,
we would observe, that it continued much
in this condition until the war of 1832,
when Mehemet Ali, Pacha of Egypt, at-
tempted to make himself independent of
the Ottoman Porte, in the event of which
the declaration of the prophet was fulfiUed :
" the king of the south shall push at him :"*
namely, at Tm-key ; for Syria, at this time,
belonged to the Turkish empire. And " the
king of the north shall come against him
like a whirlwind;" the word usually trans-
lated "whirlwind," says Kitto, means, more
properly, k stm-m. But who is to come like
a storm ? Gog and Magog, or as one wri-
ter expresses it, « the Prince of Kosh," that
IS, Russia. The two leading characteristics
of a whirlwind are : 1st. Velocity ^ 2nd. Irre-

iiiil

• KCOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 51

«wtiUe violence. Hence, we couch.de, in
respect to this f„lfil„ie,.t, « a .short work will
the Lord make upon the earth." The position
here taken, has been objected to by some,
from the ulea that it would require too much
time for the accomplishment of the work,
and consequently place the coming of our
Kmg too distant in the future. But it may
be remarked, that a g,-eater work was per-
formed by Bonaparte in a less period ; : an three
months; and can we not rely on the word of
God, when He declares it shall be done'*

In the above extracts, we see the writer
apphcs«theki„gofthe south pushing at
him ; ' the certain king, to the Pacha of Egypt
and his efforts in J832. « The king of the
north coming against him as a whirlwind, to
the empure of Eussia, the present war; the
wnter thus making these two attacks to be 21
years apart, whereas Daniel speaks of them
as being simultaneous; besides, in the present

''"f' *'f P«°l'^ of Egypt is actually aiding,
and not pusldng against Turkey.
__^^ t again, so far as the war has progressed,
• Grand Crisia, pp. 131, 134 ~ —

i !i

almost every result has been obtained infiu
vor of the Turks, and the Russians have re-
treated, whereas Daniel says, " the king of the
north". . . .shall enter into the countries, and
shall overjloiv and pass aver. He shall also en-
ter into the glorious land, and many countries
shall be overthrown, but there shall escape
out of his hand, Edom, and Moab, and the
chief of the children of Ammon. He shall
stretch forth his hand also upon the countries ;
and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But
he shall have power over the treasures of
gold and of silver, and over all the precious
things of Egypt : and the Libyans and the
Ethiopians shall be at his steps."— Daniel
xi. 40, 41,42, 43.

According to the Adventists' the ly, this ex-
tensive conquest has to be accomplished in
this year of 1894; but where is there the
least prospect of it ?

We are inclined to think with Bishop New-
ton, that these predictions respecting the
kings of the south and of the north had their
fulfilment, when the Othmar got possession of
Greece, Constantinople, Ju aa and Egypt.
But to show more clearly how exactly DanieFs

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

«i

prophecy was fulfilled in all its details by the
conquests of the Mohammedans, we shall give
a quotation from the Bishop's Dissertation,
pp. 350, 351 : "And at the time of the end,"
that is, (as Mr. Mede rightly expounds it),
" in the latter days of the Roman Empire ;
shall the *king of the south push at him;'
that is, the Saracens, who were of the Ara-
bians, and came from the south : and under
the conduct of their false prophet Moham-
med and his successors, made war upon the
Emperor Heroclius, and with amazing rapidity
deprived him of Egypt, Syria, and many
of his finest provinces. They were only to
push at and sorely wound the Greek empire ;
but they were not to subvert and destroy it!
>*And the king of the north shall come
agamst him like a whirlwind, with chariots,
and with horsemen, and with many ships, and
he shall enter into the countries, and shall
overflow and pass over;" that is, the Turks
who were originally of the Scythians, and
came from the north ; and after the Saracens
seized on Syria, and assaulted with great vio-
lence the remains of the Greek empire, and
ir, time rendered themselves absolute mas-

LECTURES ON THS

ters of the whole. The Saracens dismem-
bered, and weakened the Greek empire, but
the Turks totally ruined and destroyed it ;
and for this reason, we may presume, so
much more is said of the Turks than of the
Saracens. Their chariots and their horse-
men are particularly mentioned, because
their armies consisted chiefly of horses. Their
ships, too, are said to be many ; and, indeed,
without many ships, they could never have
gotten possession of so many islands and
m.aritmie countries, nor have so frequently
vanquished the Venetiaus, who were at that
time the greatest naval power in Europe. The
words " shall enter into the countries, and
overflow, and pass over," give us an exact
idea of their overflowing the western parts of
Asia, and then passing over into Europe, and
fixing the seat of their empire at Constanti-
nople, as they did under their Seventh Em-
peror, Mohammed the Second.

Among his other conquests, this king of the
north was to take possession of the Holy Land,
and to subdue the neighbouring countries, but
the mixed people of Arabia were to escape
out of his hands. " He shall enter also into

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

the glorious land, and many countries shall be
overthrown ; but these shall escape out of his
hand, even Edom and Moab, and the Chief
of the children of Ammon :" (ver. 41 .) Now
nothing is better known, than that the Turks
took possession of the Hcly Land, and remain
masters of it to this day.

77ie last prophecy in Daniel, which we shall
now consider, is found in chapter xii. 5-13 :
" Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there
stood othcx two, the one on this side of the
bank of the river, and the other on tiiat sido
of the bank of the river. And one said to
the man clothed in linen, which ivas upon
the waters of the river. How long shall it be
to the end of these wonders 1 And I heard
the man clothed in linen, which was upon
the waters of the river, when he held up his
right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and
sware by Him that liveth for ever, that it
shall be for a time, times, and an half; and
when He shall have accomplished to scatter
the power of the holy people, all these things
shall be finished. And I heard, but I under-
stood not : then said I, O my Lord, what shall
be the end of these things ? And He said,

LECTURES ON THB

Go thy way, Daniel : for the words are closed
np and sealed till the time of the end. Many
shall be purified, and made white, and tried ;
but the wicked shall do wickedly : and none
of the wicked shall understand j but the
wise shall understand. And from the
time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken
away, and the abomination that maketh de-
solate set up, there shall be a thousand two
hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that
waite.h, and cometh to the thousand three
hundred and five and thirty days. But go
thou thy way till the end be : for thou shalt
rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the
da^^s." The author of the « Grand Crisis," says
upon this passage : " The daily sacrifice shall
be taken away," that is, the true worship re-
moved, " and the abomination that maketh
desolate set up." This refers to the same
power that is brought to view in Daniel vii.
24,25; xi. 31; and Matt. xxiv. 15, namely,
the Papal poiver. This power was established
in the sense of the prophecy in A.D. 519. It
was then that the Catholic Church was na-
tionalized, and the mode of faith held by that
body adopted as the religion of the empire.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

In this chapter (Daniel xii.) the Angel de-
clares there shall be « time, times, and an
half." This the prophet did not understand.
He then enquires : " What shall be the end
of these things 1" To this, the Angel replies :
(ver. 11.) "And from the time that the daily
sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abom-
ination which maketh desolate set up, there
shall he a thousand two hundred and ninety
days." On turning to history, we find this
has been exactly fulfilled. In the year 519,
the abomination was set up. The Emperor
Justin, by a decree, caused the Catholic Faith
to become the dominant religion, and the
Church became incorporated with the State ;
but in 1809, just 1,290 years after this union,
Bonaparte deprived his Holiness of his tem-
poralities, since which time, the power of the
Pope, as a temporal Prince, has been but a
second-rate power, (p. 177-)

But some of the Adventists themselves dif-
fer from the above writer, in the application
of the words "the abomination of desola-
tion ;" they believe it to be the Imperial Ro-
Qiian Power, and that the prophecy recognizes
it from the time it became connected with

ifi

LECTURES ON THE

the history of God's people, until the end of
the chronological period. They view it as
one ahominatmi of desolation, xvhether Pagan
or Papal,— that it first desolated the sanctuary
—(Jewish) ; and secondly, the host— (Chris-
tian) ; that it ivas the " little horn" which
« waxed exceeding great," (Dan. viii.) ; and
secondly, the "little horn," 'Uvhose lookw^s
more stout than his fellows," (Daniel vii ) •
that first in its Pagan state, it caused the saints
to flee out of Judea, as described in Matt.
XXIV., Mark xiii., and Luke xxi. ; and second-
ly, It caused the saints to « flee into the wil-
derness," in its Papal form. (Grand Crisis,
p. 187.) '

This prophecy is applied to the Eastern or
Crreek Church; and to iMohammedanism, in
Its rise, progress, ejects, and termination, bv
.Bishop Newton, and others. One angel asks
another, (ver. 6,) « How long shall it be till
the end of these wonders?" to which the
other angel replied : « For time, times, and
an half," (ver. 7.) Daniel did not understand
this answer, so he prayed, " O my Lord, what
shall be the end of these things ? And He
said, Go thy way, Daniel : for the words are

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

closed up and sealed till the time of the end,^^
The time, times, and a half time, are said to
be 1,260 prophetic days or years, at the end of
which, Mohammedanism is to be destroyed.
But when did the 1,260 years begin?. The
author of the Grand Crisis we have seen, ap-
plies the prophecy to Popery, and fixes upon
the date A. D. 519, as its commencement, and
1809 ay its close. Bishop Newton supposes
the prophecy refers to the rise of Mohamme-
danism, about A. D. 606 ; and its,continuance
will be 1,260 days, which would bring its
close to 1866. But the learned Bishop does.
not give the date of its overthrow. He says,
" here" (Dan. xii.) " are three different periods
assigned : 1,260 years, 1,290 years, 1,335 years,
and what is the precise time of their begin-
ning, and consequently of their ending, as
well as what are the great and signal events
which will take place at the end of each pe-
riod, we can only conjecture; time alone
can, with certainty discover."

Dr. Clarke says, « I believe, v/ith Bishop .
Newton, the words abomination that maketh
desolate, is a proverbial phrase-, and may be
applied to any thing substituted in the place

r-itsafejA^^tfjaafcaa.^^if^iMa

LECTURES Olf THE

4 ■■

Of, or set up in opposition to, the ordinances of
God, His worship, His truth, &c. Adrian's
temple, built in the place of God's temple at
Jerusalem, the Church of St. Sophia turned
into a Mohammedan mosque, <fec. &c., may be
termed abominations that make desolate. Per-
haps Mohammedanism may be the abomina-
tion, which sprung up A. D. 612. If we
reckon 1,290 years (ver. 11,) from that time,
It will brmg us down to A. D. 1,902, when we
might presume, from this calculation, that the
religion of the/a/^e prophet will cease to pre-
vail m the world."

There is but one argument directly drawn
by Mr. Berick, from the Book of Daniel, to
shew that the second Advent will take place
A. D. 1854 ; it is as follows : " But how lono-
IS he (Dan.) to rest?" *^ Till the end be ^^
The end of what? The 1,335 days I For
thou Shalt rest, " and stand in thy lot." Thou
Shalt RISE UP, and stand in thy lot. (Ger. -
text.) Prof. Stuart renders the HebrcAv*
thus : " Thwi Shalt stand up for thy lot:'-^
Now, when is Daniel to stand up for his lot ?
or when is he to be resurrected ? « At the end
of the days r End of what days ? It can be

SECOND ADVExVT OF CHRIST.

no other than the 1,335 days. The resurrec-
tion of the dead marks the end of those days.
* * * * Thus it is written, and thus it will be
fulfilled.— The 1,335 days, (years) extend just
45 years beyond the 1,290. In the margin of
the Bishop's Bible, is placed the following
note : « In this number (1,335 days) we have a
. month and a half added to the former num-
ber, viz. : 1,29a days. In a month and a half
(Jewish time) there are just 45 days, and this,
added to the 1,290, makes 1335 days, which
we believe will end in 1854."

Probably the shortest and best refutation
of the above assumptions, for they can scarce-
ly be called an argument, will be the actual
close of 1854, which we believe will take
place without realizing Christ's appearance
amongst us, or Daniel's resurrection from the
dead.

But, again, we observe the angel's object
was not to disclose the date oj Christ's second
Advent, hut to frnxtell with certainUj the des-
truction oJ Christ's enemies, and the full and
final triumphs of the Gospel,

From a careful and deliberate examination
of the foregoing prophecies, we are led to th^

t t

LECTURES CN THB

mI!

E -

conclusion, that the precise time of Christ's
second Advent is not stated in any of them ;
and that the interpretations of those prophe-
cies, whether supplied by Daniel, or Gabriel,
refer to the destruction of Christ's enemies,
and not to the period of His second Advent ;
and how long after the destruction of these
enemies it may be before Christ comes, we
cannot tell. Bishop Burnet says : « We now
proceed to the Christian prophecies concern-
ing the end of the world. I do not mention
those m Daniel, because I am not satisfied
that any there (excepting that of the fifth
kingdom itself) extend so far."

The 24th chapter of St. Matthew is a part
of Scripture which was given to a few of the
disciples, by our Lord on the Mount of Olives,
in answer to the following questions : (ver. 3,)
" Tell us, when shall these things be 1 and
what shall he the sign of Thy coming, and o^
the end of the world ]" The signs spoken of
in this chapter, are understood and applied by
different writers each according to his respec-
tive theory, and a good deal of diversity in their
opinions consequently exists. Mr. Berick ap-
plies the chapter from verse 5 to 14, to calami-

:! I!

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 63

ties and events, which have occurred d.,rin.
the ,.^xole t.me since Christ's death, to th:
end of the world. Ver. 15, 16 : « When ye
herefore shall see the abomination of desoll

.^chhein.„deafieeintoth:t;::Lll:^
iliese he apphes to the setting „„ of the Pa

K;^-'^-?'=^"'^'^-^y^'The'bl:

inatxon ,s to he set up for 1,290 years. But

Daniel xu. 11, to which he evidently alludes
does n , ,,y ^,^^^. ^^^.^^^ .^ J^^^^^,

1^90 years; his words are: "And from the

7 that the daily sacrifice shall be taken

away, and the abonaination that niaketh de-

0 ate set up there shall be a thousand tl^

hundred and ninety da vs Now ,> ,

tn no tv. t. *i " ^ iNow, it appears

o us, that he prophet here speaks of the
^etlrng yp of the abomination, and not its
'f'f^'^-'^'^'^e. And the time th^t is to elapse
between the setting up and some particSr
peno , not mentioned, is to be 1,290'yeTrs

But towlHch abomination in the Book of
Darnel does Christ allude ? for there are tl^-ee
places which speak of the abomination, viz •
chap. viu. 11-13, xi. 31, Kii. 11. Wefoiri

''■

LECTURERS ON THB

able to answer these questions with any de-
gree of certainty, and we consider it better
not to add our conjectures to the statements
of others, lest we should increase the number
of errors. Other Adventists believe the
abomination of desolation to be the Imperial
Homan Power, as before intimated.

But other writers apply this prophecy to the
siege of Jerusalem, A. D. 69-70. Dr. Gum-
ming says, " down to this," (ver. 23) " he
seems to me to refer especially to the downfall
of JermalemC'' then from verse 23 onward
he guards them against misinterpreting the
signs of His Advent. From verses 23 to 29,
and from verses 30 to 4^1, he describes his
own second coming and the end of the age.*

Dr. Clarke says, " this abomination of deso-
latio7i, (St. Luke, chap. xxi. 20, 21) refers to
the Roman kings ; and this abomination
standing in the holy place is the Roman army
besieging Jerusalem ; this, our Lord says, is
what was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, in
the ninth and eleventh chapters of his pro-
phecy,— and in reference to this event they
are understood by the Rabbins. The Roman

• Apoc, 2nd eeries, p. 431,

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. «9

army is called an abomination, for its ensirrn,
and images, which were so to thlr
■Wp.u.s says, the Romarbll'/S

:":s ;;::?'? ''""'''' ^-•^ •"-«'' ''- «':

there Jh.t"" '"'' """ "^''"fi-'l '° *««»
- canl'd' /; ; "''" ^™5^ '^ "'"'^fo'" fitly

LorV'ril? ^"''■'r""'-'^ "°«ced here that o„r
qnestiof < J,° ^'"-°'°.?-al answer to the
q^^iestion « tell us when shall these things be »
He mentions the signs which are to precede
the two great events the f,II J t ' .
and his second Adven^b:* tl^rt":
sl-ouicl appear, and what time should eW
between these signs, we are not info!mS
and consecnently the date of o„ Lo" d's a''
pearmg cannot be gathered from this chapter"
Matt. XXV. 13 : « Watch, therefore for vJ
know neither the dav nor tT,„ 7 ^

tlie ■=!nn r.f ivr ^ *° '^"""^ wherein

the Son of Man cometh." These words are
the apphcatzon which Christ made of th!
parable of the ten virgins Th 7 ! ,
refers tn Phvic*' ^'fs'ns. That parab e

joiKrfc 10 unrist s second nnm.".-.™ * • ■

LECTURES ON THB

1-^

|i 5.

ll!

ditiori of the church, in which some will be
found wise and ready for their Lord, but
others will be found foolish or neglectful, and
consequently they will be punished. The
duty Christ urges is not to Jlnd out the time of
his coining, but to be ready for it,

Mark xiii: In"the preceding part of this
chapter, Christ had given the signs which
should precede the destruction of Jerusalem,
verses 1-23. H3 then proceeds to speak of
His second coming in verses 26, 27, 32 and
33 ; He says, « then shall they see the Son of
Man coming in the clouds with great power
and glory. And then shall He send his angels
and shall gather together his elect from the
four winds, from the uttermost part of the
earth to the uttermost part of heaven. But,"
says he, « of that day and that hour knoweth
no man, no not the angels which are in hea-
ven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take
ye heed, watch and pray, for ye know not the
time." Now does Christ here state the ti7ne
or date of his second coming ; or does he set
the disciples to work to find out that hidden
secret, which the very angels in heaven could
not know '? Nothing of the kind j but he says,

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. «?

37 For the Son of Man is as a man taking
a far jonrney, who left his house a ^ 1^
authority to his servants, and T:;' ^Z

Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when
the master of the house cometh, at e -^n or
at mzdnaght, or at the cock-crow no- or m'the
mornrngj ,est coming suddenly he" fi^dy"
sleepmg. And what I say rito vo„ T
unto all watch." Is not' L X ^Pa
and des.gn of this parable to show tha tl

be igaoran of the time when Christ should
come ; and that M should ^aatck for it in
consequence of their not knowiag the m.
Lukexii.35-40: " Let your loi^s be g d S
al^out, and your lights burning ; and ye your,
selves Lke unto men that wait for their Lord
when he will return from the wed Ll I''
when he cometh and knocketh, they ma^ ot
"nto Him immediately. Ble'sseZareVhC
rvants whom the Lord when he comeTh
shall find watching : verilv I .av „ T

;■- he shall gird himself, I'd lyrr::'
«t down to meat, and will nn^. ,._.. .

LECTURES ON THE

I >

ii J

\i AM

serve them. And if he shall come in the
second watch, or come in the third watch,
and find them so, blessed are those servants.
And this know, that if the good man of the
house had known what hour the thief would
come, he would have watched, and not have
suffered his house to be broken through. Be
ye therefore ready also ; for the Son of Man
Cometh at an hour when ye think not."
Here Christ speaks of his second coming as
resembling a man returning from a marriage
feast ; the time of his return being so uncer-
tain that they could not tell whether he would
come in the second watch or in the third watch
of the night, but like good se¥vants they were
to be ready for him. Again our Lord spealcs
of the uncertainty of the time in which a thief
might enter the house as resembling the uncer-
tainty of his coming ; the thief might know
the hour when he would enter the house, but
surely he would not inform the occupants of
that house when he would come. Our Lord
thus compares the uncertainty of his own
second coming to the coming of the thief,
which could not be known. Here also Christ
urges the duty of watchfulness.

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 69

Upon the Book of the Revelations of St.
John Bishop Burnett says, p. 412, "But in
the Apocalypse of St. John, which is the last
^eve ation we are to expect, there are several
propheces that reach to the consummation of
this world and the first resurrection. The
seven seals, the seven trumpets, the seven
V as do all terminate upon that great period.
But they are rather historical prophecies than
chronological ; they tell us, in their language"
he events, but do not measure or express the
tune wherein they come to pass. Others
her are that may be called chronclogicaZ, as
the readmg under foot the holy oily, forty
and two months, Apoc. xi. 2. The witnesses
opposmg Antichrist, 'one thousand twohun-
dreu and sixty days,' Apoc. xi. 3. The flirfu
of the woman into the wilderness for the

and half a time,' Apoc. xii. 6 and 14. And
ast ly, the war of the beasts against the saints
forty-two months,^ Apoc. xiii. 5. These ^11 ^

you see, express a time for their completion •'

-d all the same time, if I be not mistS;
but they do not rea^h to the end of the tvMd
or if some of them did reachso d, yet beclse

';li

.70

LECTURES ON THE

I ,i

we do not certainly know where to fix the
beginning, we must still be at a loss wJmt, or
in what year, they will expire. As, for instance,
if the reign of the beast, or the preaching of
the witnesses be 1,260 years, as is reasonably
supposed, yet if we do not know certainly
when this reign or this preaching began
neither can we tell when it will end." There
are several passages in this book, which will
come under consi aeration in subsequent lec-
tures, and therefore we shall not introduce
them here.

1. We observe, in conclusion, that none of
these passages give us any reason to think
that the coming of our Lord will be known
to the Church till he is actually announced
from heaveji ; * and the' -^fore we believe that
those persons who spen( . their time and ener-
gies to find out the day or year Christ shall
come, have got upon the tvrong track ; « tliey
have snitched o^/' as one of them humorously
said of other churches ; and when they have
thus switched off they have soon come to a
stand still ; while the chariot of the Lord has
gone forward, and is still going forward in
Grand Crisis, p. 256.

' ^ ■

|[^l

I..-

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST, 71

the right direction, watching and praying till

Christ shall say, it is enough.
2. Another point to bo observed is, that

Chr,st, in every one of these passages, ur<^es
.pon his disciples to b, ,,^y %^ ,| ^^^^.^f
not to spend their days in pi.yi„g i„to thos^
times and seasons which the Father hath put
m his own power; trying to find out what

out. We think, therefore, it is much better
to be warhng in the vineyard while it is dav
than to be loitering and lounging for the night
expecting the reward, though we neglect the'

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I.ECTURE m.— P \RT I.

THE WORK TO BE DONE BE-WEEY CHRIST'S

ASCENSION TO HEAVEN AND HIS

SECOND ADVENT.

DISCIPLINO ALL NATIONS.

W'TT. XJTviii. 19, 20.

"Go ye then/ore, and teach all nations, baptizing them

ever I have commanded you: and, to! 1 am with „o„
alu,ay, even unto the e,ul of the world. aZ. '

Our last discourse in this series was confined
to the Ume or period of Christ s secmul Advent,
m which we were led briefly to review some
of the errors upon this subject, into which
persons and parties have fallen from the days

then tl '' ' '° "^^ P'"'^^'^"* "me. And
then to examine passages of Scripti.re which

2!" ! *f , °°'"<' ' ''"* ^« found that these
passages did not allude to the period or date

7*^ Ll:CTURES OS THE

of our Lord's return, and scarcelyany of them
referred even to the event itself.

We then examined other passages, which are
undoubtedly applied to the second Advent of
Christ ; but these passages did not disclcse to
us the time when Christ should appear ; but
they seemed studiously to keep the date out
of sight, and they all strongly urged the ne-
cessity of being ready for it,— not to find out
ivhen it should take place ; but « to take heed,
watch and pray."

Let us nov/ proceed to consider the zaor/c
which was to be done between the ascension of
Christ to heaven, and His return from thence.
That work comprehends chiefly, the discipling
of all nations; the restoration of the Jeivs ; the
destruction of Christ's enemies, viz., Anti-
christ and the false prophet. At present, we
can only direct your attention to the disci-
pli?ig of all 7iations, In the text, wt find,
Christ said unto the disciples : " Go ye there-
fore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to ob^
serve all things whatsoever I have command-
ed you : and, lo ! I am with you alway, even

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 75

unto the end of the world " Ti.,-

ts ongm u, the comprehensive scheme of
1^— rede„.ption,-he„ce we find Tt ,ef

I. In the New Covenant into which God

..TEKE. WITH THE WNP.Mav,rLth

xln. Cue read: «I the Lord have call^^
thee .n righteousness, and will hold t K
'^and, and wm keep thee, and give thee for a
c^o.™ofthepeople,fora4toftl^G:„!

by he Fat^ ^'^'"^^V' "" """'''''' *° Christ
cy tlie iather, in which we see He w^» ...

ported to he .;. .„,, :i5 rs

covenantisalh,dedtoinGe„.iii.-;5:«A„d

ma , and between thy seed and her seed • it

shall bruise thy head anH ti, "\^««a, it

his heel '' tZ ' T *°" *^'* ^'•"ise

ntcl Ihese worde are altogether of a

, general k^nd. But this covenant^was more

them ? .? ^ ""'' " ^'''^^ ««W, that in

xxvi. 4. ' ^"'"- '« ' ^^"- J8 ;

I» Heb. viii. 10, 11, St. Paul shews that

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LTJCTURES ON THE

this covenant of grace comprehends not only
all nations, collectively, but all persons indi-
vidually, " For this is the covenant, that I
will make \yiLi.i i c house of Israel, after
those days, saitli .he Lord ; I will put my
laws into their mind, and write them in their
hearts : and I will be to them a God, and they
shall be to me a people : And they shall not
teach every man his neighbour, and every
man his brother, saying. Know the Lord, for
all shall know me, from the least to the great-
est," Guided by the light of this inspired
Apostle, we look forward and see that a time
has yet to come, when all nations shall be so
discipled that every neighbour, and every bro-
ther will " know the Lord^^ and that Christ
in His commission to the disciples, was only
carrying out the provisions of that covenant.
But we proceed to consider —

II. Secondly, some Prophecies which re-
fer to the discipling of all nations : —

Ps. xxii. 27 : " All the ends of the world
shall remember and turn unto the Lord ; and
all the kindreds of the nations shall worship
before Him."

It is, we believe, universally admitted, that

SECOND ADVENT OF CHBIST. 77

ttis Psalm concerns the Messiah Christ : His
Passwn, and His Kingdom; and that the pas-
sage we have read, foretells a period when all
nations shall be so far discipled, that they
shall remember, and turn unto the Lord, and
all kindreds of the nations shall n,orship be-
fore Hun. The word rendered ^cindreds,
me^ns famzhes ; that is, all the families of
all the nations, shall embrace the Gospel for
their salvation.— Br. Clarke.

Ps. Ixxii. 8,11,17: « He shall have do-
mmion also from sea to sea, and from the river
imto the ends of the earth. They that dwell
m the wilderness shall bow before Him ; and
His enemies shall lick the dust. The kings
of Tarshish, and of the isles shall brin^ pre-
sents : the kings of Sheba and Seba shall of-
fer g,fts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before
Him, all nations shall serve Him." "His name
shall endure for ever, His name shall be con-
toued as long as the sun : and men shall be
blessed m Him : all nations shall call Him
blessed " And after this, David offers up an
inspired prayer in which these words occur:
And let the whole earth be filled with His
Clory. Amenand Amen." (ver. 19.)

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This Psalm too, refers primarily to Christ,
and the passages we have read, shew that the
dominion of Christ is to be as extensive as
mmis habitations J that it is to stretch from sea
to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the
earth : — All natiojis shall serve Him, — all na-
tions shall call Him blessed. The Psahiiist
anticipated the time when one simultaneous
shout of hallowed praise, shall arise from
every nation to the glory of Christ ; " all na-
tions shall call Him blessed."

Isa. ii. 2-4 : " And it shall come to pass in
the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's
house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the
hills ; and all nations shall flow unto it. And
many people shall go and say, Come ye, and
let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to
the house of the God of Jacob, and He will
teach us of His ways, and we will walk in
His paths ; for out of Zion shall go forth the
law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And He shall judge among the nations, and
shall rebuke many people ; and they shall
beat their swords into plough shares, and
their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 79

not Jift up sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war any more." Here we have
a prophecy of thai supremacy, to which
Chnsts kinsc-.nm .aall bo raised,-ancl the
success of His .-^ve^nment is such, that from
meuce they sImU Ua, n war no more. But this
part of the tri:-, ,,i,s of Christ is not yet ac-
comphshcd; fur how to destroy most lives in
battle, IS a study to which men now apply
themselves most assiduously. As the poet

" How fo dislodge most souls from their frail shrines
By bomb, sword, ball and bayonet, is the art '

Which some call great and glorious."

Isaiah ii. 1-9 : « And there shall come
forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a
branch sha 1 grow out of his roo, : a„d
he spnut of the Lord shall rest upon Wm
he sp.r.t of wisdom and unders'tandi g,'
the sp.ru of counsel and might, the spirl
of knowfedge and of the fear of the Lord
a«d shal make him of quick understand.'
.ng in the fear of the Lord, and He sl.all
«ot judge after the sight of his eyes, neUhe"
reprove after the hearing of his e^rs : hi
wuh righteousness shaU He judge the poor

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LECTURES ON THE

III

F» *

I:*

and reprove with equity for the meek of the
earth ; and He shall smite the earth with the
rod of his mouth, and with the breath of His
lips shall He slay the wicked. And righteous-
ness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faith-
fulness the girdle of His reins. The wolf also
shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard
shall lie down with the kid ; and the calf and
the young lion and the falling together, and
a little child shall lead them. And the cow
and the bear shall feed : their young ones
shall lie down together : and the lion shall
eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child
shall play on the hole of the asp, and the
weaned child shall put his hand on the cock-
atrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy
in all my holy mountain : for the earth shall
be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the
waters cover the sea." We have the authority
of St. Paul for applying this prophecy to the
final and peaceful triumphs of Christ's king-
dom upon earth. In Romans xv. 12 : he
says, " Esaias saith, There shall be a root of
Jesse, and He that shall rise to reign over the
Gentiles ; in Him shall the Gentiles trust."
The peaceful state of things mentioned in the

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 81

prediction, is attributed to the uniycrsal spread
of the Gospel : - fcrr the earth shall he full of
the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters eover
tfie scaP

Dan. ii. 34, 35 : « T),o„ sawcst till that a
stone was cut out without hands, whicli sniote
the image upon his feet that were of iron and
Clay, and bralte them to pieces. • • • • And
the stone that smote the iniage became a
geat mou„taur,««,;^/to; the whole earth.^'

and fill the whole eartli, is the kingdom of
Chnst, as we see by the interpretation, (ver.

sit^'and If ■''','u"''"'"^°J"''s™-t shall
sit, and they shall take away his dominion

And the kmgdom and dominion, and the

h:ri:ii t ''"'^'°" "'^^'- *° -^

neaven, slrall be given to the iieorde of ti,o
samts of the most High, wiios^ k iWoL t
an everlasting kingdom, and all dZ^Z^
shall serve and obey Him. "Simons

In the context, we fiiid that Antichristian

great , but its day ,s limited, the shades of iti

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LECTURES ON THE!

night have began to gather arouiKl, its end
draws nigh, its destruction is determined upon.
But the sovereignty of Clhrisfs kingdom
is everlasting and all dominions shall serve
and obey Him.

The few prophecies we have referred to,
most clearly shew that all thn nations, f a wilies
and indi'vuhmh of the world are, at some pe-
riod, to 2^i'ofess Christianiti/, — to be the disciples
of Jesus, to knoiv the Lord, We proceed to
consider —

Ml. Thirdly, some Statements and Para-
bles OF Christ, which refer to the discipling
of all nations :—

Matt. xxiv. lit '^And this Gospel of the
kingtlora shall l)e preached in all the ivorldy
fur a witness unto all nations, and then shall

THE END COME."

Do not the words " all the world" clearly
convey the idea of all natio?Ks, families iind
individaals^ and that the gospel has to bo
preached to them, and then shall the end come^
but not before.

Matt, xxviii. 19, 20 : '' Go ye therefore and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the

SECOND APVE.NT OF CHRIST.

Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you •
and, lo ! T nm with yon alway, even unto the'
end 01 the v/orld. Amen." The word " ^w/i"
here means <^ make disciphs r>f ail nations;
(Dr. Clnrkc), brmg them to an acqnaintance
with God ; and for the accomplisliment of this
^vork, Christ i)romi.sed to be with them even
unto the end of the worldP Let ns now look
at some of our Lord's parables which have
reference to the work to be done between His
ascension to heaven and His return.

Matt. xiii. 24^-28 : " Another parable put He
forth unto them, saying. The kin.crdom of
heaven is likened unto a man which sowed
good seed in liis field: But while men slept,
his enemy came and soAved tares among the
wheat, and went his way. But when the
blade Avas sprung up, and brought forth fruit,
then appeared the tares .-dso. So the servants'
of the householder came and said unto him,
^'ir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field 'i
from whence then hath it tares? He said
unto thi'm, An onemy hath done this. The
servants said untu Him, \Allt thou then th.it
we go and gather them up ? But He said,

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^•^ LECTURES Olf 'HE

Nay; lest while ye her up the tares, ye
root up also the wheat with them. Let both
grow together until the harvest ; and in the
time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Ga-
ther ye together first the tares, and bind them
in bundles to burn them : but gather the wheat
into my barn." It has been said elsewhere
that the wheat re])resents the good ; and the
tares the nicked ^ or no)i-2)rofessors. The par-
able is acknowledged to refer to the state
of the world at some period or other, but
as there has not been a time in which all
men professed the religion of Christ, such a
time is yet to come. But the tares here mean
degenerate or bastard ivlieat, as critical Greek
scholars all adinit, so far as I am acquainted
with them. The tares then, resemble degene-
rate professors of the Cliristian religion. Dr.
Clarke says <'' every Christian society, how
pure soever its })rinciples may be, has its bas-
tard ivheat—tlwse 'id to bear a*resemblance to the
goodjmt ivnose hearts are nU rigid ivitli GodP
Matt. xiii. 33 : - Another parable spake ho
unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like
unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in
three measures of meal, till the whole was

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SECOND ADVEiNT OF CHRIST.

eavened." Does not this parable teach that
the gospel will work its widening way through
the mass of human society imtil it lemen the
whole ?

Matt. >-xv. i-13: Then shall the kingdom
01 heav.n be likened unto ten virgins, which
t '. their lamps, and went forth to meet
the bridegToom. And five of them were
wise, and five were foolisli. They that
were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil
with them ; Bnt the wise took oil in their
vessels with their lamps. While the bride-
groom tarried, they all slumbered and slept,
And at midnight there was a cry made, Be-
hold, the bridegroom cometh ; go yc out to
meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and
trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said
unto tlic wise. Give us of your oil ; for our
lamps are gone out. But the wise answered,
saying, Not so, lest there be not enouo-h fo- us
and you ; bat go ye rather to tliem that sell,
and buy for yourselves. And while thev
went to buy tlie bridegroom came ; and they
that were ready went in with him to the mar-
riage : and Hie door was shut. Afterxvard cama
a.so the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord,

ir-

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LECTURES ON Xli2

Open to ns.- But he answered and said. Ver-
ily I say unto you, I know ye not. Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the
hour wherein the Son of man cometh."

These two classes of virgius resemble the
human race, as it will be found when Christ
the bridegroom comes. Dr. Clarke, says : the
"virgins denote the purity of the Christian
doctrine and character, in this parable, the
bridegroom is generally understood to mean
Jesus Christ. 'Xhc feast, that state of felicity,
to which lie has promised to raise liis gen-
uine followers, '.riie zeise or 2^^'udent, and
fodish virg?jiSy those who irifli/ enjoy^ and
those who q\\\^ irrofcss \\\q, imrity and holiness
of religion. The oil, the grace and salvation
of God ; or, that faith which works by love.
The vessel the heart in A\iiich this oil is con-
tained. The laonp, the }}rofess;on of enjoy-
ing the burning and shiniug light of Ine Gos-
pel of Christ. Going forlh, the whole of their
sojourning uj^ion earth." This parable then
teaches that the human race ivill all 2>r''fess
the Christian religion, olthougli. some will be
wise and prudent^ others fodish and carele^%.
Matthew XXV. U-^SO : As this parable is

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 87

lengthy, we have not trans.'ribecl it. You
observe tliat all the persons to whom the
talents were e.itrusted, were servants, they
belonged to the same master, and they all had
goods entrnsted to them for improvement.-
And hat servant who was punished, was not
pnn shed ior rehcUion and or:position to his
«^aster,_ln,t for indolence ; he was a sloth-
ful servant. This parable, too, leads us to
the same conclusion, namely, that when Christ
Shall come, all persons ivUl he His servants-
cMmll have had talents to improve ; bnt some
v^'H be fouad s'othful servants, while others
nave been diligent.

There are other parables, such as the fish-
^ngnet and the mustard seed, which refer to
a stmilar state of things, when Christ shall
come. But these are enough! We think
no l-ng ca.1 1^ clearer, from the words of
the Son of (,od, than that all nations, fanulies
and tndnnduals, ^oiU profess the CMstian reli-
gwn before Christ's seeond eomiwr.

IV. fourthly: The Apostle's lead us to
expect the same state of things as being ac-
comphshed. before the second Advent of
Christ :— c4

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LECTURES OX THK

Romans x. 18 : iSt. Paul, rcferririg to the
preaching of the Gospel, says : '' Have they
not heard 1 Yes, verily ; their sound went
into all the earth, and their words unto the
ends of the world." The Apostle here says
of the Gospel, what the Psahnist had said of
the heavenly bodies. Their sound went into
all the earth, and their words unto the end
of the world. As those celestial luminaries
have given testimony of the eternal power
and godhead of the Deity, to all the habitable
it'Oi-ld, so the Gospel of Christ is intended, and
shall idtimately bear testimony of His eternal
mercy and goodness as extensively over this
earth as the light of the sun itself,

Phil. ii. 10, 11: "That at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under
the earth j and that every tongue should con-
fess that Jesus Christ is Lord, Xo the glory of
God the Father." We quoted this text, seve-
ral months ago, and gave the words " should
boiD^^ " shoidd confess^ m the sense of pro-
mise— they si tall do it. One person, in parti-
cular, with some degree of tact, gave a most
im-etched and unscriptural zxWio^i^m to the word

seii

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

" shmildr he said theij ought to do it, and not,
they shall do it ; and thereby he tried to
shew that we had perverted the passage, giv-
ing a meaning to it, which, Paul the writer,
did not intend. Now, that way of arguing,
may take with persons who are unable or
unwilling to examine the matter. If you
look to the margin of your Bible, you will
find a reference to Isaiah xlv. 22, 23, to which
St. Paul evidently alludes. The passage
reads thus : <^ Look unto me, and be ye saved,
all ye ends of the earth ; for I am God and
there is none else. I have sicorn by myself ,
the word is gone out of my month in right-
eousness, mid. shall not return; that unto me
every knee shall boiv, every tongue shall
sioearP Thus, you see that our interpreta-
tion of that passage is supported by the tvord,
yea, by the oath of God himself.

^ Then St. Paul quotes these words m Rom.
xlv. 11, where he uses the words in the same
way. He says : " It is written, As I live,
saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue s/i^?// confess to God." We
therefore look upon these passages, in Isaiah,
and m Romans j quoted also by St. Paul in the

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LECTURES ON THB

V IS If

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epistle to the Philipi)ians, as shewing most
positively and conclusively, that the time will
come, i(;he?i every knee shall hoiv to the na77ie
of Jesus, and every tongice shall confess, that
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of Gcd the
Father,

Onreviewin g the spread of the Gospel, and
its blessed results, we would say, in the lan-
guage ef the eloquent Dr. Gumming : " -When
the Gospel has been preached as a witness to
all, then shall Messiah come in the clouds of
heaven, with power and great glory ; and the
end shall come— the end of our disputes,
quarrels, pride, sectarianism, selfishness, vain
glory; the end of despotism on the part of the
rulers, and of insubordination in the suhiects :
the end of the toils of slavery, and the suffer-
ings of martyrdom ; the end of Popery, Pusy-
ism. Paganism, and Mohammedanism,— the
Missal, the Breviary, the Shaster, and the
Koran. That great rainbow of the covenant,
that starts from the cross, vaults into the sky,
and sweeps over the throne, shall complete
its orbit, and rost again upon the groimd, and
Christ and Christianity shall be all and in all.
1 hen shall the desert rejoice and blossom aa

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

the rose. Then the tree of life shall be where
the cypress is. Then shall nations sing God's
praise, and Zion recount God's marvels. Then
shall history retrace, with new joy,God\s foot-
prints. Then shall the glory of Jesus sparkle
in the dew-drop, and in the boundless sea ;
in the minutest atom, and in the greatest
«tar ; and this earth, re-strung, re-tuned, shall
be one grand yEolian harp, swept by the
breath of the Holy Spirit, pouring forth those
melodies which began on Calvary, and shall
sound through .Jl generations.'

In conclusion :— 1st. Yon observe by the
foregoing Scriptures, that all nations have to
be so far discipled to Christ, that qyqyy family
and every individual in the world ivill, at
some particular time, profess the religion of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Mark you, we do not
say they w^ill all be converted to God, horn of
His spirit, and lead a sober, godly, and rights
^ous life. But w^e do say, they ivill all profess
the Christian religion.

But it has been said, the Gospel has been
pnsached to all nations. If even that were
true, which we do not admit, yet has there
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LECTURES ON THE

ever been a time when every nation, family
and indivichial in the world, professed the
Christian religion ? Never ! then that time
has yet to come ; the ^vork of discipling all na-
tions is still unfinished.

2nd. Consider the i^resent state of the world
with respect to the religion they profess:-—
Taking the world's population at the lowest

estimate, 800 millions ; of that number, there
are : —

.455 millions of Pagans,
140 <' of Mohammedans,
5 « of Jews ; and but
200 " who profess the Christian
religion— in the Roman Catholic, the Greek,
and the Protestant Churches. Thus, you see'
that at this period of time, only about one-
fourth of the world's population, profess the
Christian religion. But how soon, or how
long it may yet require to win the other three-
fourths over to Christ, even in name, none can
tell ; but they must be won,— they uill be
won : for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken
it. A time will come, when some pure and
happy spirit will announce from heaven, the
great fact, that the kingdoms of this umld have

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

become the kingdoms of our God and of His

Christ.

3rd. A conclnsion to which these remarks
nati -ally bring us, is, that to expect Christ's
second coming to take place to-night, to-mor-
row, or even this year, is to expect, the bride-
groom to come, before the bride is prepared to
receive him, to expect the host to invite us to
the feast of fat things, before the animals are
slaughtered— to invite us to loines ivell refined,
befm-e he has even gathered the grapes ; or it
is to announce the arrival of harvest before the
seed time is ended. But it ivill not be so; when
the messenger calls us to the marriage feast,
he will say, " all things are ready, come ye to
the marriage." When he commands the
angel to thrust in his sickle, it will be when
the harvest of the world is ripe.

LECTURE IV.

TLiS WORK TO BE DONE BETWEEN CHRIST'S

ASCENSION TO HEAVEN AND HIS

SECOND ADVENT.

PART II.
THE DESTRUCTION OF ANTICHRIST.

1 Cor. xr. 25.
''For he must reign, till he hath put rr enemies under

his feet."

" The carnal mind is enmity against God ; it
is not subject to his law, neither indeed can
be." This is spoken of man as a fallen beinn-,
whose degenerate state is so bad that it cannot
be sufficiently mended to fit him /or heaven;
but he may be created aneiv in Christ Jesus]
hence the Apostle says, " and yon that were
sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind
by wicked works, yet now hath Jie reconciled
m the body of his flesh through death, to pre-
sent you holy and unblamable and unreprove-
able in his sight," (Col. i. 21, 22.)

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But the Scriptures speak of Christ's ene-
mies, as being large in mimbersy forming com-
binations, or societies, which set themselves in
formidable array against the " Prince of
Peace ;" the Psahnist inquires of such, " Why
do the heathen rage, and the people imagine
a vain thing ? The kings of the earth set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel
together, against the Lord, and against his
anointed, saying, let us break their bands
asiinder, and cast away their cords from us ;
he that sittcth in the heavens shall laui^h,
the Lord shall have them in derision. Then
shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and
vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have
I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion."
These were enemies outside of the Church of
Christ, but the Church has had her enemies
iviihin, and the greatest and most deadly of
these has beeii the Papacy. Daniel spr'-e of
this enemy as being remarkable for its origin,
springing out of the very bosom of the church
itself, remarkable c:so for the degree of its
ambition, and the extent of its potver. But its
career is limited, its end will assuredly come ;
the same Being that foresaw its rise, has fore-

SFCOND ADVfiA'T OF CllRLST.

told Its fall. Another enemy is the false pro-
phet or Mohammedanism ; that system arose
from obscurity, by thx3 ambition and cnnnino
of one man ; it spread itself by the destroyia-
elements of fire and sword, and it was firmly
seated for hundreds of years ; but its founda-
tions are sapped, and its structure will fall to
the ground ; and probably the sword, by which
It arose to eminence, will be employed for its
overth row. These two, Popery and Mohamme-
danism, are the great enemies of Christianity ;
but the light of inspiration discloses the symp-
toms of decay, and points to their final disso-
lution ; for Christ " must reign till he hath
put all enemies under his feet."

There are several prophecies in scripture
which speak of Antichrist, the Man of Sin ;
and the resemblance between them and the'
Popedom is such, that writers are almost all
agreed that these prophecies speak of that
great degeneracy in the Church which we
commonly call Popery. To this enemy we
shall first direct your attention.

Popery, we say, is the great enemy of Christ,
spoken of in scripture as a "little horn," and
as a " beast." Let us look first to its rise.

LECTURES ON THE

The plenitude of Popery, in it^? power and
grandeur, was not contemplated by its early
promoters, they dug the foundations upon
which others gradually reared the edifice, and
in doing so they never dreamt that its top
should reach to heaven, or that their succes-
sors should oppose and exalt themselves above
all that is called God, or that is worshipped.
But the Divine Being foresaw its commence-
ment, traced the outline of its future extent
and operations, beheld its towering ambi-
tion, and then resolved upon its final over-
throw. The leaven of Popery began to ope-
rate in the days of the Apostles. St. Paul,
after predicting its career, says, " the mystery
of miquity doth already iccrJc,^^ 'Phis enemy
to Christ was predicted by Daniel (vii. 8) as a
" little horn having eyes like the eyes of a
man, and a mouth speaking great things."
But its progress in the Church was compara-
tively slow till the time when Constantine
took Christianity under his protection and
patronage ; then, by the worldly honours
which that emperor heaped upon it, corruption
came in like a flood, its growth became rapid,
and it continued to spread for several centuries.

SECOND

ABVJINT OF CHllIST.

">- li«le l" pir^^''^ ^- '--^. «-l that

-.. the ten .i? I^JXSrtS
difference of oph^o,. . ' ''"* '^'""^ '^ Sre^'

-8Mhcsete„r;Tor"r"'"%''°"°^--

diffl-renceofopinion," ;, f r''^«'«« S^eat
horn's ,,h.ckino Zh"° '-^f events the Jitt'e

^^^^^W«!; l"i;"'""'T' ">'' ''"'^^ horn was
Plncked „Sf r ""' ""*' «'^ "»•«« horns

rh.cki„, .,p ;w thrhir?'' ^^^^'^ ^-^^

conqnest obtained a -V'"''"""'"

ChrH534,bytheC^'i''*'7y«"of

" l'-^"« horn," 4 '' "PP'y *^ ^'-^e of the

lUO

LECTURES OIS TilK

king of France, first conquering, and then
giving the exarchate of Ravenna to Pope
. Stephen TI. The second kingdom was given
to Peter by Charlemagne in 774. The third,
the State of Rome, was vested in the Pope
in temporals as well as spirituals, and confirm-
ed to him by Leivis the Pious ; these, says this
writer, are the three horns whicli were pluck-
ed up from the roots before the little horn. —
(Dr. Clarke, quoted from Bp. Newton, p. 241.)
Where historians and learned men differ so
much, as to the time when the little horn
arose, and the kingdoms represented by the
three horns, it would be presumptuous for us to
decide, and it might lead us into an error similar
to that into which others have fallen, when
they have fixed particular dates to the events
predicted by Daniel, and . from thence made
their calculations as to when Christ is to come.
The fact is, Popeiy arose gradually, little by
little, and therefore to date the time of its rise
from any particular day, is impossible.
Let us now proceed to consider :
Secondly, some of his characteristics:-
This little horn we understand to be, not
one individual person, hut a system or svcces-

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. IQI

non of rulers; the great things said to be
done by this little horn, and the contin, a„ca
of h,s power until the disoipling of all natl™!
;: ''ff-ted,p„ts it beyond all ;,estio„"hra
long succession of persons is ,!ieant, and not
one individual only. "°*

His uncommon penetration and sa,g„citv and

h- high rrelensions to superiority abo?e the
other horns, are implied in the words : Id^
V". 8, 20 0 « in this horn were eyes iuL the'
eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great

h-ngs; and his look was more stout tl^an ht
fellow«," that is, the other horns

he plucks up three of the other horns which
P ceded him, and their kingdoms become hs
But notwithstanding this, he is never calk

01 mm, that It waxed exceeding great Th^
greatness of this little horn does" not coi^'l
ni the enent of te,nporal .,«..•„ ,15
ZZT'^^'^-^^'^^^rea.a^tLn.A

by his making war with the saints, and pre-
va.hng against them , his speaki'ng gL,

502

LECTURES ON THff

words against the Most High ; his wearing
out the saints of the Most High ; liis thinking
to change times and laws, which would be
given into his hand until time, times and the
dividing of time." The history of Popery is
the strongest confirmation of this, — fur in
what country has she fixed the heel of her
despotism without changing the laws, crush-
ing the civil liberties of the people, and wear-
ing out the saints of the Most High, either by
tedious torture or horrible massacre?

Spea7ci??g tcords against the Most High^ is
another of these characteristics mentioned in
prophecy. This signifies opposition to the
truth as it is in Jesus ; professing and author-
izing corrupt doctrines and practices in wor-
ship ; yea, speaking great words against the
Must High denotes a sacrilegious claiming of
authority in government, entrenching on the
prerogatives of the Divine Being. And do
not their own authorized publications show
tthat every part of this prediction is but toix
true^ impiously a7id hla^iiliemciisly true.

We cannot conclude this part better than
by quoting the words of Bishop Newton,
(Dis. on Prop., p. 682.) " I say, the spirit of

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRXST. 103

E'KchT"''"' '°'°^^ "^"'^' ^'^^ there
and Church orof"" " *'"^ °^ "'« ^"1-

a«er. he event: tT"t:Sr°?^I--ed
rather tlian to foretel- thiZ . =' P"'*'

"Stance, hath ther tt T^ '°™'- ^"'
sisted.and doth there"tm ^T '''""^ """'^ ^"''-
and idolatrous and btl f"''"''^ *y^'»""'«=»l

^^^«.c. Christ anXuSr"^^ '""^^' '"
It .s the very s-im^^ ^'^^^""^'"^^'^'i^n.

the ' httle h?r„;:Xll ""k '' ^"^^^-^^^ ^
Daniel ; i„ the ^mn of I ? '■™°"" '""S ''^
ty St. Paul ; and L th? ^ ^'°"^^''*''°"'
the two-hor^ed bea 1 1 r :^f "'^' ^'=«^' ««d
St. John, auh the cCc :?''*' P^°^''°'' ''^
parted greatly from 11 P°'"'«^^'' "^ de-
faith and worsl^r j^t r"'y °f Christian

fha'St.P,ulhithfor^t^"::^S""^"""^
The day of the Lord shall ni; ''■ "' ^'^

there come a falling axvav \''°""' «cept
>^^- St-Johnforesawtl7c," '' "P"^*''^/
«-tedastobecomerKt2rS:r"'^'^«-

104

LECTURES ON THE

of the earth.' Is the same Church notorious
also for enjoming celibacy to her cler^jr, and
engaging her nuns to enter into vows of lead- .
ing a°single life ^ Doth she make a distmc-
tion of meats, and conimand and mstitute
certain times and days of fasting, wherem to
taste flesh is judged a mortal sin? Nothing
can more fully accomplish the predictions ol
Daniel and Paul. Doth the Pope make him-
self equal, ar.d even superior to God, in affect-
ing divine titles, attributes and honors, in
assuming a power of dispensing with the
immutable laws of nature and the gospel, in
substituting for the commandments of O.od
the traditions of men." ^

The above (and a great deal more so minute
and so full, that to avoid being tedious we
have abbreviated) so clearly and constantly
point us to Popery that we have no doubt
whatever that that system is the man of sin,
the son of perdition whom the Lord will des-
troy with the brightness of his commg. ihis
leads us to consider, thirdly, the durat^m of

^ Dani"el said it should be " until a time, and
times, and the dividing of time" (Dan. vu. 25.)

SECOND ADVENT Of CHR.ST. JO^J

■Again, (Dan. xii. II,) « And fmm h .•
the daily sacrifice haltbeZn ""'*''*
the abomination that maketi 1 T^^' """^
*here shall be 1290 day ha .r*''"^' "P'
or years.. The durSn of p' ^''^T° ""^'^
1290 v«ars from 1 "P^''^ ^"^ 'hese

-riterscl ;ST /,^;rt- '^-'t^ Which

^^ythe^.wi"o"::ra;^r^^^^^^^^

«f their writers says « as wp i« 7 "®

-t historians tijt ;he:x":r7r'''%-

power, wielded by the PnlT " "''^'^

mated in 1809 is nof th T ^' ""''' '°"'^"'"-

-s of the lirry'; n?!"*f '---

this," he adds, "webok f ';; ' '"'""'"^
onr Lord i„ 45 yelrs frl ,,w ""• '?"""=" "^

The present year vfz ,«t '"""' °'"''"^^-
* J. ■ y^^^h VIZ., 1854, We hni^r. « 1

trust as the glorious year of rla^To th

people of God." (Grand Crisis, pp. 70 37n

J-he author of thf- an .' ^ ^ * "^'^^ '^'i-)

says, " the next grea erro?^'^ •^'"'-^^''' "

- in regard to tl^e t le Td T '"^^P'''^'"-

!j::^-the clurationVtrb^r^^rty

taiued to a year. Ij. t „, ; "* "'■""'ovv conid be ascer-

to step, tmiic acquired his f.r'.f^''"'"'^'' fr"" sTep
«ay, at present. wi,„ i". _.'^.f '.'""K"', 't is imDossihl„ S
■ " "= "•'" Of uostroycd. '

106

LECTURES ON THE

do not understand that it means a period of
12G0 solar years, and they have failed to find
the true commencement of the era. The
general theory dates it from the year 606,
when Pliocos proclaimed the universal supre-
macy of the Bishop of Rome. This fixes
the secondary termination of the 1260 years
in 1866. But the time, times find half a time^
began by its primeval epoch earlier than this.
The year 606 is the period of the ecclesiastical
constitution of the beast, or the time when
the dragon gave to its Lion-mouth his autho-
rity. Its civil constitution dates 75 years
earlier, or from 531, when the Justinian code
was completed and published. These two
epochs were the real beginnings of the 1260
years. The victorious reign of the beast ought
then to terminate about the years 1791 and
1866, or two years earlier or later." (Coming
Struggle, p. 13, 14.) This writer adds, " It is
a mistake to suppose that the 1260 years
limits the existence of the beast, it merely
limits his unwaning power. The full power
of his civil and ecclesiastical pre-jndicial ex-
istence, as a Kqman power, is 1335 years, and
this terminates in 1866,"

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. JQT

- tempola vole IS T?:'''''''^'''
i« most likely SZ ''' ''"'■"' ^*''=h

Pepin k„Vo;;,,^;;;.P°l- S'-^P'-n IL, by
from .l«.i ttme J;^ \' '"""*'"- '-60 years

from these <)«tes '' "^ co.clnsions

fi^hop Norton says : " To fi^ „, , •
actlyu'hen these I 260 v.n , '"*= ''^-

^^quently ,,,,,„ twir". '""'""'' ^°"-
some nicencss and difTK H ' '? ''' "'""" "^
'""•^t see .heir conch s on ?V"'' ""''''''' ^^«
oisely ascertain ," "•'■°"' ''efia-e ve can pre-

i^> *i- tiTy^ r . :^^ '^'- 1™*

from the bej^innhl"' ^ ,' *" "'' ''^''^^^^'i
*he n.. of this ^, I'^wT"'"'""' ^^°-
f ow.h and establi i i" /T """' ^""
fr°-J=is coming to thri; . 'td""''''~

op'mon,thebegi„ningof tie .'go '" '"^
not be fixed con,-«f , *i '~ ° >'''''''s <="«-

'he 1,260 veaisof <),!.' '*^'""'»S of

to be dated Wf "''^'' "^ ^"tichrist is

"citcu iioni tile vptv 70*7 ..i •

fall near the year 2 000 l'^' *'"^"- <-""d will
o» Prop., pp. i^'^?^ ^^'' Christ." (Dis.

Is 1

108

LECTURES OH THE

!
I' !

By the preceding quotations, you perceive
what a difFerence of opinion exists as to the
continuance of Popery, or when the 1,260
years shall end. The Adventists say, those
years ended in 1,809. The autlior of the
« Coming Struggle" supposes the end will be
in 1,866; Bishop Newton thinks about the
year 2,000. Dr. Clarke thinks about 2,015.

I, however, am not so much concerned as to
when Popery shall end, as I am in the cer-
tainty of its overthrow. Popedom st ill exists,
and it cannot be denied that this apostacy is
making the most strenuous edorts to regain
its former power ; but in spite of those spas-
modic efforts lor enlargement, Popery is in its
"dotage;" and all its struggles to regain its
former power, shall prove only like the con-
vulsive throes of a dying man, for sure as the
unerring word of pro})hecy. Antichrist is des-
tined to fall, and the signs of the times indi-
cate that the day cannot be very far distant,
when the shout of joy and exultation shall
be heard, " Babylon the Great, is fallen !
IS fallen !"

Look next to the destruction of this Anti-
christ :— In Daniel vii. 9, 10, 11, we have an

SECOND Ai.VE,vr OF CHRIST. IQy

account of the (ivnmi a. •
Aiitichmt IS arraigned, j„dged .^^.^ „^„
de„„ed : . I beheld" says the' p^e , " n
the throne, were cast down, and the ALien
of days chd sit, whose garment wa. wh ^a
snow, and tlie hair of Ins head like the puro

Wheels iTT ""^ '^'" "'« '^^^y «--- d
ills wheels hke bHrning fire, a fierv stre-,™

issued and came fortli from before hm Z^
sand thousands ministered unto hin an LL'
thousand fmes ten thousand stood m'
t" • *''" J"<?'nent was set, and the books

spake -1 b^ ,f' ^* ''°"'^ ^^''"°1^ ^''e horn
aS hi; I , f '""" '"' '^'^ ^"^^^t ^-«« slain,

t s a description of God the Father ' ''.
-I think * * * * f].^. ., .
n-v f '^^ ^"^ Ancient of davs—

he o r „„,„ ,^,, ^^.. ,^ ^,,_^ ^^^^^^/I
^^^^aono else than ./.Z«.,y.,,,
•Lectures on DanidTpTmr

l.tCTUnr.?! ON TllR

The arguments prodnct'd in favor o( tbi.1
o]M'nioii, Mvo far frum heinc; couciusivr ; Ijut
;is tliry two I('ii«;'1liy, ii;sloiul of Iranscriliing
tluMu, wo sliall ]iro^o(Hl to notice iiii insiir-
ni<)iinlaI)lo diduMiIty to this iiitin'prctation, a
didicidty uhioli tho leaniod Doclor himself
I'oJt. it is this : in vov. 13, it is siiid, " I saw
in the night visions, and, behold, one like the
iSon of man came wiUi the clondsof heaven*
and eamc to tln^ Ancient of days, and they
bronpht him near before him." The ditH-
cullv lies here : The title, " Son of oncuir is
uudenbtedly ajiplied to our blessed Lord Jesus
Christ; and if tlu^ designation, ^^ Ancient of
day<'^ is also to be ajiplicd to Ilim ? as the
Doctor thinks, how can it be said, that the
*' Son of man" came to the Ancient of days>
and they brought him near beibre him ? that
is, he came to himself, and was brought near
before himself 1 'J'he author referred to, says
most candidly, " 1 arhiut and feel the dij/icul-
iy ; I cannot explain it,'^'^*

We are inclined to think, that the embar-
rassment felt ill the above interpretation, is

* Lectures on Daniel, p. 249.

si^c;uM> ADVE.vr or chuist. m

one result of an error into w],ich tho crumvnt

tiuthor iniJiiinpiiy fell v;V • h i ''""' "^

•II i I '^y itji, VIZ. : tho t hcorv of n

the ^(vo.Kl \ I V ^^ ^e lose sifrht of

"" ^"'^'"^^ ^^^'^^^"t, wuli which we think thn
P-'is^Hi-e has nothiijo. to do n.wl i i

. • , ^ "^*> ^^"^^ ^tJuk 111)011 it n^*

/^/«/ /y ^wt a,., last yud^mcHt, for it „r.^c<.d.s

nni T? ii ^iJoient of (lays IS tlic Ktrr-

nls, •'",'"' "'"'""-" ^'"' --f^««"oe
v^r ' , '^ '"'^''■'•«'"c'.s. Tl,c beast is con-

-J-/ rowev .hie,, . canllX^y
■iijssincr over v<>r 10 ;„ i • . ,

.•^ v'vti vci. j^ m which the nrnnl^nf

.''ays, uhdehe sat „po„ the jndgment seat,

k-1

112

LECTURES ON THE

and the great usurper, Antichrist, is dethroned
and destroyed , then there was given unto
Christ, " dominion, and glory, and a kingdom,
that all people, nations, and languages, should
serve him : his dominion is an everlasting do-
minion, which shall not pass away, and his
kingdom that w^iich shall not be destroyed."
(ver. 13.) Upon these passages. Dr. Gumming
says, " chronologically viewed, the order of
proceeding is this : Christ comes first ; Christ's
foQS arc depressed and destroyed next, and the
millennium is immediately established upon
earth." We admit this chronological order ;
but what do we understand, by the words ?
*^ Christ comes first. ^'^ Certainly, not the se-
cond Advent : but Christ the Son of man
coming before the Ancient of days at the par-
ticular judgment which tries and condemns
Antichrist; and the dominion of the church
being rescued from the hand of the enemy,
it is given to Christ, and under his rule it be-
came universal.

We are naturally led to ask, ^v]lat is implied
in this destruction of Antichrist ? to which
we answer, first, its temporal power ; hence
Daniel, speaking of its destruction, says : " the

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. US

judgment shall sit, and they shall take away
hts dominion, to consume and to destroy it
imto the end." (Dan. vii. 26.)

Historians are agreed that Napoleon Bona-
parte depnved the Tope of his temporal power,
to V . VT^ ^''^'°h time it has been
exceedingly feeble, and at present he is sus-
tained as a sovereign by foreign bayonets ; ' but
the prophecy says, " they shall taL a^vay his
dominion, to consume and to destroy it finto
the end." (ver. 26.) This destructfon may
be gmdual, commencing in 17.92, by the
French Revolution ; a still heavier blovt wal
struck by the hand of Napoleon, in isol, ZZ

period ancn"*'°" ""' ''^' l''^'' -' --«

Ti^heder:-''^""*^^''""'^^"*"--
JiHt the destruction of his Ecclesiauical

power IS spoken of with equal prec s I I
assaid.„Dan.vii.21,22:iibeL~J'
same horn made war with the saints, an 1 pr"
\^'^'^ against them ; until the A^cien of
days came, and judgment was givr'to the
-n^f^th^M^IigU; and the time cVn!:

withdrawn from Italj. '^^P' ^"" ^^ ^^

114

LECTURES ON THE

that the saints possessed the kingdom." I
think we are not mistaken in applying this to
the Ecdesiastical power of the " little horn ;"
for that kingdom which is takon from him is
given to the scihits. The destruction of An-
tichrist is predicted by St. Paul in tlie follow-
ing words : "whom the Lord shall consume
with the spirit of His moulh,and slnll destroy
with the brightness of His coming." (2 Thess.
ii. 8.) This indicates a gradual overthrow of
his* organization ; he shall be consumed, or
wasted away, till the last moment when he
shall be suddenly destroyed. This consump-
tion of his power began with the Reforma-
tion, and has manifested itself by several
symptoms of decline, in the expulsion of the
Jesuits from all European nations, till the Order
was suppressed A.D. 1773, by " His Holiness"
Pope Clement XIV.* It is true, the " man of
sin" has, since that time, made great efforts,
and is now exerting himself to the utmost,
to recover his ecclesiastical health, but the
means he is using as a medicine to heal him,
will operate as a poison; enfeeble his consti-
tution and hasten his decease. Or, in other
•Maua. His. of the World, vol. 1, p, 3U. ^

SECOND ADVENT OF CHHIST. 115

*oras the means he is emr-loying in If.ly.and
other Popish countries, in Trotcstunt Englund
and America, to support his to. tering , hrone and
syste.n, ^v■dl eventLu,)ly contribute to his own
final destruction. Then the kingdom will be
given to the saints-revived Christianity will
have the sovereignty of the -world. Go\n<^ forth
m Its hfo-giving, penetrating, all-transWrning
vn-tne,it moulds the institutions and affairs of
n:e„ to its own blessed character, making
God s w,ll be done on earth even as it is dene
m heaven. We would close this part of the
subject by a quotation from the " Grand Cri
Sis." The author says, " Now, then, let the
harlot vaunt herself, let her exclaim, ' I sit a
queen, and am no widow, and shall see no
sorrow.' Let her boast of her anticipated
supremacy of the world ; let her breathe forth
anathemas against the Church of Christ ■ let
her popes and cardinals, her bishops and priests
revel in the Vatican, and dream of pleasures
to come, yet shall her plagues come in one
day for the ten horns and the beast shall hate
the harlot and shall make her desolate, and
naked and shall eat her flesh, and b.,rn her
With fire." (P. 371.)

'! 1

116

LECTURES ON TUB

Let US next consider by irhat means will
the destruction of Antichrist l)o accomplished.
Daniel says (vii. 11^ concerning luHend, " his
body shall be destroyed and given to tlic burn-
ing liaine ;" in ver. 18 he says, "but the
saints of the Most High shall take the king-
dom." St. Paul says, (2 Thcss. ii. 8) " And
then shall that wicked be revealed, whom tho
Lord shall consume with the spirit of his
mouth, and shall destroy with tho brightness
of his coming." In the book of tho Revela-
tions it is said of this Antichrist, " and the
benst was taken, and with him the false pro-
phet that wrought miracles before him with
which he deceived them that had received
the mark of the beast, and them tJiat worship-
ped his image. These both were cast alive
into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."
(Rev. xix. 20.)

Writers upon the prophecies vary much in
their opinions upon the means of destruction
made use of against Popery. Bishop Newton
says, " the fall of Rome is delineated in Ka'v.
17 and 18 chapters, as of another Babyiun ;
and it is declared she shall be destroyed hy fire^
and her destruction shall be a complete and

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIgT. 117

total dcstrucfioii, such os lias nover yet boon
thn fiite of Home. Some ol the Princes, who
weicouco or her communion, 'shall hate' her
as much as they (formally) l„ved her, and
hunt ho- uith jlre. It is further intin.uted
thai she shall be swallowed up by a svhlerra.
neous fire, shall sink like a great milLstoiie in
t.io sea, and her smoke shall rise up for ever
and ever ; and the soil and situation of Rome
ancl tlio neighl)c.riug countries greatly favor
such a supposition. After the subversion of
the capital eity, (Rev. xix.) < the beast and
the fals^ prophot,' the j.owers, civil and cede-
siasUcal, wuh those who still adhere to their
party, sh.Il make one effort more ; but it shall
prove as «..„/, and vain as it is impir»,s ,• they
shall both be taken and east alive into a lakl

lt;':;7""^,^:""[""«'°-- Thedestrnc!
Uon of ^ut.chnst, therefore, of himself, as
well as of lus seat, sh.ll be in a terrible man
nerB,, „ (Dis. on Prop. p. 698.)

Dr. John Gillies, a Scotch Divine, writing
upon Babylon's f.,1, says, « the ;rop; ^
account of the instruments shows they'^were
to be the same ten }u>rns that formerly tLd been
the ^nstruments of her rise a^ Jtir.ua^l

1I8

LECTURES ON THE

(p. 234..) The meaning of which is that
those ten kingdoms represented by the ten
toes in Nebuchadnezzar's image, which en-
couraged and fostered Popery in its rise, shall
yet be the instruments in destroying that very
system. Brown, in his work on the second
Advent, says: " Nebnchnclnezzar's vision ex-
hibits the fall of Antichristianism, as resulting
from a hloiv given to it by the kingdom of
Christ. Daniel sees that too, in the saints of
the Most High, taking the kin':dom and pos-
sessing it. When his day of visitation comes,
those who are on the Lord's side will find
him an easy prey." (p. 3i7.)

Dr. Gumming says : " It will be consumed
by the preaching of the Gospsl ; it will be
exhausted by the hostility of a thous uid kings
who once were charmed with its grandeur,
and made drunk with the cup of its intoxi-
cation ; but it will be utterly and completely
destroyed and broken up by the brightness of
the Redeemers coming."!

t Lect. on Apoc, p. 246.

Now we thmk it highly probable that loar^
pre and sivord^ may destroy the city of Rome
and the remaining temporal power held by the

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 119

Pope ; yet we think that spiritual agencies
will be employed to destroy the system of Po-
pery, until all that is antichristian in it, will
be purged away : we have come to this con-
clusion by a carcfiil examination of those pro-
phecies which speak of its destruction, and
we think that both the carnal and the ^pirituil
means will be employed in the hand of God ;
consequently the destrnction of the city m-iy
be sudden, bnt the destruction of the syslem
will be gradual, and not some mighty revolu-
tion to tear the system into shreds in a mo-
ment of time, or like an earthquake to swal-
low it up bodily at once.— This will appear if
we look at some of the prophecies which
speak of its termination. Daniel says : " they
shall take away his dominion tocmsume and
to destroy it:' (Dan. vii. 26.) Again, " In the
days of these kings shall the God of heaven
set up a kingdom,— /^ shall break in jneces
and consume all these kingdoms:^ (Dan. ii. 44.)
Now the kinn-dom of Christ not being " of
this world" and so not " bearing the sword,"
does not break in pieces and consume all these
kingdoms in any such pitched battle as the
armies of men do ; I believe in no such way

d2 ^

iii

120

LECTURES ON THE

of deciding the question between Christ and
Antichrist ; we believe that the weapons of
our warfare are not carnal, but they are, for
that reason, mighty to the pulling Viown of
strongholds. There may be much carnal
warfare in connection with it, but the con-
flict is chiefly of another kind. St. Paul,
speaking of the downfall of Popery, says :
Whom the Lord shall co?tsu?ne ivith the spirit
of Ms mouth, and shall destroy ivith the bright-
ness of his coming P (2 Thess. ii. 8.) This^we
think, refers to spiritual agencies. We are of
opinion, then, that with regard to the govern-
ment, the head of Popery, its destruction may
be sudden ; but with regard to the system, in
all its ramiflcations, streams and branches,
the destruction will be gradual, and yet it
may be rapid.

But we see no necessity for the second Ad-
vent of Christ to take place immediately
Babylon has fallen. We are rather disposed
to expect that his kingdom will then extend
over this earth with much greater rapidity
than before ; but 'when it shall achieve its con-
quests, we know not ; we know not when
Babylon will fall j we know not when the

SECOND ABVENT OF CHRIST. 121

kingdoms of this world will all have become
the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ ;
but believe all this work will be finished
befwe Christ's second Advent.

We come secondly to direct your attention
to Mohammedanism as an enemy to Christ and
as the stdjject of Scripture prophecy.

The prophecies of Daniel and John un-
doubtedly foretold the rise, progress and ex-
tension of Mohammedanism ; but in which
of their predictions do we find these particu-
lars set forth ? are they in one prophecy only,
or mseverai ? If we may judge by the ex-
positions of learned Commentators, we shall
be led to conclude that the origin of the false
prophet IS more than once spoken of by the
Jewish captive, in different parts of his writ-
ings. Dr. Gumming thinks that Daniel viii.
y-12,' refers to its rise ; he says : " In mv
judgment, therefore, and in the judgment of
those who Iiave studied and written at leuo-th
upou the subject of this prophecy, it is the
1 urkish or Mohammedau power tliat is here
represented by the little horn • • » • th- fea
turesjelineated by the prophet, and tliTfacts
• Lecture on Daniel, p. 263

122

LECTURES ON THE

i!l

thrown np in the history of Mohammedanism,
so completely tally, that the infcrcnice is almost
irresistible, that it is the Turkish or Moham-
medan power that is here intended."

The same learned writer, in an exposition of
Rev. xi. l-ll, speaks of the fifi.h trumpet as
representing^ the rise of Mohammedanism ; he
says : " In the year 629, the Saracens first is-
sued from the desert ; and in A. D. 636, they
came down upon Damascus and Jerusalem,
like a resistless and overflowing torrent ; and
before A.D. 637, a Mohammedan mosqne was
built upon the very site of the ancient tem-
ple of Solomon, and the cry of the Mu;^zzim
was heard where the voice of inspiration had
been uttered before ; the Crescent waved vic-
torious over Egypt, Spain, Persia, and In-
dia. In ten years, that is, from A. D. 634, to
A. D. 644, the Saracens reduced 3,060 cities,
destroyed 4,000 churches, and raised 1,400
mosques; and, as if to shew how truly the
punishment they inflicted was as the torment
of a scorpion, when he striketh a man ; and
that in " those days shall men seek death and
shall not find it, and shall desire to die, and
death shall flee from him," the Christians

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 123

they spared were tormented with the most
cruel and protracted oppression,~their rites
were mocked at,— their worship degraded,—
their persons assailed,— and insults, without
ceasing, were heaped upon their churches, and
the commoa language addressed to them, was,
« Ye Christian dogs ; ye know your option,—
the Koran, the tribute, or the sword !"

The origin of its poicer in the Eastern or
Greek Church. The d^^generacy of thut church
was such that the divine Being was resoh^ed
to punish it. A prediction of that punishment
is found in Dan. xi. 40-^2. « And at the time
of the end, shall the kin- of the south push
at him : and the king of the north shall come
against him like a whirlwind, with chariots
and With horsemen, and with many ships '
and he shall enter into the countries, and shall
overflow and pass over. He shall enter al«o
into the glorious land, and many countries
shall be overthrown; but there shall escape
out of his hands, even Edom, and Moab, and
the chief of the cliildren of Amnion. He
shall stretch tbrth his hand also npon the
countries, and the land of Egypt shall not
escape*

124

LECTURES ON THE

" The time of the end*^ when this prophecy
should be fulfilled, was the latter days of the
Roman Empire. The " king of the south''^ as
we have noticed before, was the Sar':tcens who
were of the Arabians and came from the south :
and under the conduct of their false proj)het,
Mohammed, and his successors, made war
upon the emperor, Heraclius^ and with amaz-
ing rapidity deprived him of Egypt, Syria, and
many of his finest provinces. They were only
to 2ntsh at J and sorely wound, the Greek Em-
pire, but they were not to subvert and destroy
it. The king of the norths that is, the Turks,
who were originally of the Scythians, and
and came from the north ; and, after the Sara-
cens seized on Syria, assaulted with great
violence the remains of the Greek empire,
and in time rendered themselves absolute mas-
ters of the whole. Their chariots and their
horsemen are particularly mentioned, because
their armies consisted chiefly of horse ; their
s%;5, too, are said to be mmiy \ and, indeed,
without many ships, they could never have
gotten possession of so many islands, nor have
so frequently vanquished the Venetians, who
were, at that time, the greatest naval power

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 125

in Europe. By these means, the Turks cot
possession of Constantinople, as well as othe^
parts of Europe and Asia, including the holy
land, and also Egypt.

How long shall Mohammedanism bear rule
over the Eastern Church, is a question we
may very naturally ask ? Dr. Cummin g sup.
poses that the « little horn" in Dan. viii.^9-12,
refers to Mohammedanism, and that it \fas
pre^dicted to spring up in after ages ; and the
end of Its duration was to be 2,300 years from
a date which preceded the birth of Christ,
538 or 480 years ; one period being the com-
mencement of the Persian dynasty, the other
the era of its meridian, or noontide power and
glory. He also thinks the 2,300 days termi-
named A. D. 1820 ; he says, - every thing in
the history of Turkey, up to the spring of 1820,
was powerful, peaceful, prosperous; now just
notice what begins to take place at that period
In the summer of that year Ali Pacha revolted
agamst the dominion of the Sultan, and intes-
tme war began. In October, 1820, the Greek
insurrection took place, and Turkey was crip-
pled in its strength and reduced in its territory
And from 1820, down to the present hour'

d5 *

126

LECTURES ON THE

;' y

(1848) plague, earthquake, fire, revolt, des-
truction, have not ceased continually to lay
it waste, till, in the language of Lamartine,
* Turkey is dying rapidly for want of Turks.' "*

Daniel mentions one angel as asking another
" how long shall it he to tiie end of tliese
wonders'?" The other angel, lifting up his
hands to heaven, solemnly sware " by hiin
tlMit liveth for ever and ever, that it shall be
for a time, timesy and an half time, and when
he si ball leave accomplished to scatter the power
of the holy people y all these things shall be Jin-
ishidP Again, it is added, ^'^ and from the
time that the daily sacrifice shall he taken awayy
and the abomination that maketh desolate set
up. there shall be 1290<:%s." Agnin, <- Blessed
is h,e that icaiteih, and comelh to the 1335 da.ijsP
(Dan. xii. 6, 7, II, 12.) We had occasion to
show before, that a time, times, and a half
time are, 3^ prophetic years, or 12f>0 years.

Y(jw perceive, then, the same length of time
is allowed for the tiesolatioji and oppression of
the Eastern Church, as was allowed ^Kii the
tyranny of the little horn in the Western
Church. Daniel, not sufficiently understand-

' ' ' ■■'■■■' ■ ■■■ ■III la^^— ^^ MM I ,,MM ^M I |„i M^l^— ^WlM^i^ I %

* Lecture on Daniel, p. 211.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 127

ing the answer, inquired « what," or how
li.ng shull be the end of these things ? he was
answered, that from the time of taking away
the diulv sacrifice, and setting up the abomi-
naiion th..t maketh desolate, there shall be
1290 clays, that is yctvrs. Dr. Clarke says,
Wohamedanism sprang up in A. D. 612, and
if we reckon 1290 years from that time, it
-will bring US down to 1902, when we might
presume, from this culcuJation, that the reli-
gion of ihe false prophet will cease to prevail
in the world. And " then," as Bishop New-
ton says, " a great and glorious revolution
will follow ; perhaps the restoration of the
Jews, perhaps the destruction of Antichrist.
But another still greater and more glorious
will succeed, and what can this be so probably
lis the full conversion of the Gentiles to the
Church of Christ, and the beginning of the
.iiiilleniam,or reign r^f the saints upon earth."
<P. 363.) In tins prophecy, three different
periods are mentioned, 1260 years, 1290 years
and 1335 years ; " and what is the precise time
of their beginning," says Bishop Newton
^' and consequently of their ending, as well aj
what are the great and signal events, which

! ■ ! •

12$

LECTURES ON THE

;? :i li

will take place at the end of each period, we
can only conjecture, time alone can, with cer-
tainty, discover," (p. 363.) The Bishop says
afterwards, (p. 700) « It is, I conceive, to these
great events, the fall of Antichrist, the re-es-
tablishment of the Jews, and the beginning
of the glorious millenium, that the three
different dates in Daniel of 1260, 1290 and
1335 years are to be referred."

Other writers bring their calculations to a
nearer close than the above j the author of the
"Coming Struggle" applies the prediction
respecting the king of the south and the king
of the north, coming against a certain kino-,
to Mehemit Ali jiushing at the Sultan, and
says, " this was accomplished in J839, when
that monarch wrested Egypt and Syria from
him, and endeavoured to seize Constantinople
itself. The king of the north," says he, " or
Russia, it is stated, shall come against him
like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen,
and with many ships, and he shall enter into
the countries, and shall overthrow and pass
over. Here we read at once the doom of
Turkey ; notwithstanding the assurance of as-
sistance from France and England, the Otto-

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 129

man empire will soon be no more, and ere
long the news will doubtless come, that he is
at the gates of the Sultan's capital. We have
no date by which to determiue tlie exact time
of Its occurrence, but, considering the number
and character of the events to succeed it, and
the short space allowed fur their performance,

fpTo oI'V'tTIT' 'r''""^' ""'mediately,"
(p. M ^\.) I hat book was pubhshcd in 1849

Bin the writer appears to be in too much haste ;"
besides, he builds his whole theory upon a
prophecy which we think belonged to the
1 urks setting possession of Constantinople, and
-Mt their being driven from it.

In the above extracts, it will be observed
that a difference of opinion exists as to the
time when this enemy to Christ shall be des-
troyed; this difference of opinion arises par-
tially by confounding, as we think, the over-
throw of the Turkish empire, and the anni-
hilation of Mohammedanism ; and also from
supposing Daniel's dates to take their com-
mencement from different periods according
to the respective theory of each writer.

Ihe destruction of Mohammedanism next
claims our consideration. Mr. Berick gup-

130

LECTURES ON THE

poses that the present year is the time of
Christ's second advent ; and is the Turkish
empire to be destroyed prior to that event 1
He supposes that the armies of Russia will
overrun Europe, depose the Sultan, and extend
their conquests as far as Jerusalem, bpfore the
present year of 1854 closes. This extrava-
gant supposition, he informs us, has been
objected to from the shortness of time to
accomplish it in ; his words are, " the position
here taken has been objected to by some, from
the idea that it would require too much time
for the accomplishment of the work, and con-
sequently place the coming of our king too
distant in the future. But it may be remarked
that a greater work was performed by Bona-
parte in a less period than th^ree months ; and
can we not rely on the word of God, when he
declares it shall be -done ?" * Now, while we
are ready lo rely on ^he snre word of prophecy
which God has given, we are not prepared to
believe what the " Adventists" write respect-
ing the fill Ifilment of these prophecies and the
second appearing of Christ.

Let us carefully look at the prophecies

* Grand Crisis, p. 132.

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 131

which speak of the downfall of Mohammedan-
ism. JDan. xi. 41, 45 : « But tidinj^s out of
tlie oast and out of the north s!,ail trouble
h-m : therefore he shall go fortli w.th great
fury to destroy, a.;d utterly to make away
"'any And he shidl plant the tab.rn>,chs of
hs palaces between the seas in the glorious
holy mounlain ; yet ke shall come to Im end,
and .one shall help /«>»." Jf ^,e are right, as
we.hmk we are, in applying ihe four pre-
cecbng verses to the Turks getting po.ses^ion
of Constantinople and the eotaitries mentioned,
then we conclude this passage re/ers to the
destruciioH of the Turkisli empire. The tid-
ings from the east and the north that shall
tiouble Inm may come from Persia and Russia.
These naucns shall .rouse him to the ntmo,t.
and he shall go forth to war against them
wrth great fury ; bnt he shall not , revail, but
shall be obliged to retreat before them ; then
he shall make his last stand in Judea,or, as it
IS expressed in the prophecy, « he shall plant
the tabernacles of his palaces between the
seas m the glorious holy mountain ; and then
he shall come to his end and none shall help
him. Now, tf we are right in this conjecture

132

LECTURES ON THE

then we think the present trouble in the east
will come to an end, and the Turkish empire
be preserved for a time, and the allied forces
of England and France be withdrawn from
the country. But, after that, fresh troubles
will arise between Russia and Persia oii the
one hand, and Turkey on the other ; and Tur-
key not then being aided by the western, or
any other powers, for the prophecy says,
" none shall help him," then he, the Turk,
shall be driven from Constantinople, till he
take^\ip his position in Judea, anrl there, as the
prophecy has it, " he shall come to his eml^
Bishop Newton supposes the Ottoman, or Tur-
kish empire, will be overthrown in opposing
the settlement of Israel in their ovn land in
the latter days, p. 697. 'J'his opinion the Bishop
seems to have formed from a prophecy in
Ezekiel, 38 and 39 chapters, concerning Gog
and Magog, whom he says, ^' we believe to be
the Turks or Otlimans, and they shall come up
against the children of Israel in the latter
days, to oppose their re-settlement in their own
land ; and they shall fall, in some extraordi-
nary manner, upon the mountains of Israel,
they and the people that are with them."

SECOND ADVENT OF CHKIST. 133

Again the Bishop quotes the words, "he shall
prosper till the indignation," tha is Go^"

phsted. ' Fro^ these, and other prophecies,
he thinks xlIohammedani.«„ will be over-
thrown tn its oppositim to the restoration of
the Jeu's to their own land.

arJh *''" " ^""""^ Struggle" I find that the
ai.thor supposes that Russia wih conquer Ger-
many and F,.nee, and the whole of LLJn-
t E„,ope wd be in his grasp, and that he is,
thus formed, the Gog and Magog of E^ekieJ's

in-phooy and that the heart of the empire

WiU be hfted up by success, and, in his pride
and arrogance he will endeavor to make the
world h,s slave. Having succeeded in de!
thron„,g the Sultan, he will endeavor fo take

possession of Palestine, he lays seige to the
ho y city Jerusalem, and thus plants the
tabernacle of his palace between tL seas in

1 fTr }'"^^ """"''■^''^ ' h« has now
eached the farthest limit of bis conqueri J

niss,on ; the decree peels forth from t^e

eternal throne, " hitherto shalt thou come

but no farther." This writer supposes that'

l-reat Bntam, joined by the United States of

Ip ''

i s'l,

134

LECTURES ON THE

i» r

If'

America, will proceed from Britain's eastern
possessions in India, till the flower and strength
of the Anglo-Saxon race meet on the sacred
soil of Palestine, and that their being joined
by the Jews, will be prepared for the greatest
battle that ever was fonght on this struggling
earih. On the one side, the motley millions
of Rnssia and the nations of continental
Enrope, are drawn np on the slopes of the hills
and the sides of the valleys towards the north ;
while,, on the other, are ranged the thousands
of Britain and lier offspring, from Avhose ^irm
and reg- "ar ranks gleam forth the dark eyes
of the sons of Abraham, determined to ]>re-
serve their newly recovered city, or perish,
like their ancestors in a former age, in its
rnins. All is ready ! That awfnl pause which
ensnes before the work of death begins, is
broken by the clash of arms ; and ^vhile yet
the contending hosts are plunging incessant
fire upon battallions of bleeding and quiver-
ing flesh, a strange sound. — * The voice of the
archangel and the trump of God,' out roar the
din of battle, — he calls for a sword against
Gog ; the scene that follows baffles descrip-
tion. Amid earthquakes and showers of fire,

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 135

the bewildered and maddened multitude of
the Autocrat, rush, sword in hand, against each
other, while the Israelites and Ando-Saxon
allies become Jehovah's sword upon the ene-
my." (Pp. 21-32.)

The above is a very graphic description,
but It looks more like the conjectures of a
politician, or the despatches of a conquering
general, than the sober exposition of scripture
prophecy. Besides, the writer expects the
conquest of Europe by Russia, the overthrow
of Mohammedanism, and this great battle of
Armageddon, all to take place wiinin thirteen
years from the time that he wrote in 1849.
Five of these years are already passed away ;
Russia has not yet subdued o?ie of the conti-
nental nations ; besides, when Turkey will
come to its end, « none shall help him ;" but
we find England and France in close alliance
with Turkey. We think, then, this theory of
the "Coming Struggle" is based upon the
misapphcatinfi of ^vopliecij.

If we consider the events connected ivith
Turkey since 1820, we are unavoidably led to
the conclusion, that its decline is gradual, and
It will probably continue to diminish until

136

LECTURES ON THE

'' I?*'

some occurrence, yet in the future, puts an
end to its existence as a nation. Moliamme-
dunism, the nUgion of the Turks, the scourge
of the Christiun Church in the East, has its
destinies interwoven with the Ottoman Power,
— and the downfall of the Sultan will Vibrate
to tlio extremity of its religious organization ;
and from t lie nee w^e may safely expect that
Christianity will make rapid inroads upon that
system of error, till the light of Divine Reve-
lation has caused the Koran to disappear
from our earth. Dr. Gumming, speaking of
1820, says : '^ From tliat time the Turkish
nation hus rapidly wasted; the last streamlet
is barely discernible in the once full and over-
flowing channel of the great Euphrates.
The shadows of LUissia and Britain are at
this moment (1848) by a strange combination,
spread over it to prevent its entire evaporation.
They AviU not succeed. God has pronounced
its doom, and no power on earth can prevent
its speedy accomplishment. Yea, all efforts
to arrest, will only precipitate the sure catas-
trophe. The crescent must give way to the
c/oss — the mcsque must one day resound with
the name, and shine with the glories of Jesus.

SECOND ADVENT Of CHRIST.

137

That river, whose streams make glad the city
of our God, shall flow when Erphrates has
long rolled its flood . * There is one God,' will
then, as now, he the Turkish fiii.h ; but there
will be this, to its professors, new and happy
addition— 'and Christ is the brightness of his
glory, and the express imnge of his person.'
The decay and waning is almost complete ;
the day also of its regeneration cannot be far
distant." *

All expositors of prophecy are agreed in
this,that the " false proyhee shall he dethroned,
that the days of Mohammeda7tism arQ^, num-
bered and its end draivcth ?iigh.

In conclusion, we observe that while the
destruction of Antichrist, and the false pro-
phet is a settled question, the time when it
shall be completed is to us yet uncertain. The
angel said to Daniel, « the coords are closed up
and sealed till the time of the eyid^ and we
think that' the seal has not yet been broken,
nor the closed roll of the prophecy yet unfuld-
ed ; and consequently they cannot at pn-sent
be so understood as to say, with certainty,
when these enemies of Christ shall be des-
troyed.

Lect. on Apoc, p. 388,

138

LECTURES.

How far Christianity may have extended in
the world when these enemies are fiij^lly des-
troyed, we camiot say ; but when they shall
be taken away, "the kingdom and dominion
and the grentness of the kingdom nnder the
whole heaven, shall be given to the people of
the saints of the Most Hinh, whose kingdom
is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions
shall serve and obey him." Dan. vii. 27.

Hoiv long after these events (the destruction
of Christ's enemies and the universal diffusion
of , Christianity) it m y be bfore the second
Advent of Christ, ice do 7iot ])rcfess to laioio.
We still think "of that day and that hour
knoweth no man, no not the angels in heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father," and we
would much rather be laboring in the vine-
yard than spending our time in idle conjec-
tures as to when Christ shall come.

LECTURE V.

THE WORK TO BE DONE BETWEEN CHRIST'S
ASCENSION TO HEAVEN AND HIS
RETURN FROM THENCE.

PART III,

THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWS.

Romans xi. 26.
"And so all Israel shall be saved."
'The covenant into which God entered with
Abraham, reads thus : « And I will establish
my covenant between me and thee, and thv
seed after thee in their generations, for an ever
lasting coYonant, to be a God unto thee, and
to thy seed after thee. And I will gi^e unto
thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land where-
in thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan
for an everlasting possesion ; and I leill be
Ouir God."—G&n. xvii. 7, 8,

LECTURES ON THE

With regard to this covenant, Matthew-
Henry says : The continuance of this cove-
nant is intimated in three things. 1st. It is
established^ — not to be altered or revoked ; it
is fixed ; it is ratified ; it is made as firm as
the Divine power and truth can make it.
2ndly. It is entailed^ — it is a covenant, not
with Abraham only, but with his seed after
him ; not only his seed after the flesh, but his
spiritual seed. 3rdly. It is everlasting, — in the
councils of it ; and to everlasting in the con-
sequences of it." In the commencement of
the chapter, where our text occurs, the Apos-
tle asks the question : " Hath God cast away
his people f that is, finally. " God forbid y^
says the Apostle. <' God hath not cast away
his people which he foreknew. For if the
casting away of them be the reconciling of
the w^orld, what shall the receiving of them
be, but life from the dead. And they also, if
they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graft-
ed in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until
the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And
so all Israel shall be saved ; as it is written,
there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer,

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. Ul

and shal. tarn away ungodliness from Jacob:
for this IS my covenant unto them, when I
shall take away their sins. As concernino-
the gospel, they are enemies for your sakesl
.but as touching the election, they are beloved
for the Father's sake. For the gifts and call-
ing of God are without repentance."

Brown says (p. 434) : " In this chapter, the
Apostle teaches that the rejection of God's
ancient people, under the gospel, is to be taken
with two limitations: first, that even at this
present time (the period of rejection) there is
a remnant according to the election of grace ;"
and next, that the i:>eo2Dle at large— ^^q bulk
and body of the ^^\:iox\,^^contmdistingiiislied
from this elect remna?it, —iihaW vet be brouo-ht
in. In proof of this, the Apostle carries\s
back to the Abrahamic covenant itself. " As
touching the election, (of Abraham and liis
seed) they are beloved for the Father's sake-
dear to God, because of their ancestral con-
nections, their lineal descent from, and one-
ness in covenant with those fathers with
whom God originally established his cove-
nant,"

Their continuance, as a church and as a na-

14*J

LECTURES ON THE

tion, in that superior eminence to which God
raised them, wjis strictly conditional \ and be-
cause they did not perform the conditions
God required, they were scattered ah'oad. In
the dnys of Rehoboam (Solomon's successor)
ten tribes revolted, and followed Jeroboam,
a man of the tribe of Ephraim, and on that
account they were sometimes called Ephraim^
Concerning these ten tribes God said by Isaiah,
" within three score and five years, shall
Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people."
(Tsa. vii. 8.) In 2 Kings, xvii. 6, 22, 23, we
read : *< In the ninth year of Hoshea, the kinj^
of Assyria took Stuiiaria, and carried Israel
away into Assyria," Thus the Lord caused
to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel."
- — Ilosea i. 4, 5.

The tribes of Jitdali and Benjamm^ which
remained with Rehoboam, were a(t:'rwards
carried away captive by Nebuchadnezzar into
Babylon, where they remained for seventy
years. Under the Medo-Persian government,
they were permitted to return, and probably
they were accompanied by many individuals
belonging to the ten tribes who were now in-
corporated with Judah and Benjamin.

SECOND. ADVENT OP CHRIST. 143

About forty years after the death of Christ
Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and
the Jews who survived that catastrophe, were
scattered abroad, and since that time they
have been a bye-word and a proverb among
all nations.

The preservalion of the Jews, as a lUstinct
people among all the nations, whither they
have been scattered, was foretold in several
prophecies, which show that, though God
would make an end of other nations, he
won d not make an end of them ; and these
prophecies are still fnltilled in our dav, for
although the Jews mingle with all nat'ions,
yet they are not amalgamated with them, but
remain as distinct as they were 1800 y-ars
ago. And does not this distinction not only
mark a special preserving providence, but also
: mtimates that there is yet some particular
object to be gained by it ? Keith says, << and
viewing only the dispersion of the Jews and
some of its attendant circumstances, how
their city was laid wnste, their temple
evened with the ground, and ploughed over
like a field, their country ravaged, and them-
selves murdered in mass, falling before the

144

LECTURES ON THfi

sword, the famine, and the pestilence ; hoW
a remnant was left, but despoiled, persecntedy
enslaved, and led into captivity, driven from:
their own land, not to a mountainous retreat,
where they might subsist with safety, but
dispersed among all nations, and left to the
mercy of a world that everywhere hated and
oppressed them, shattered in pieces like the
wreck of a vessel in a mighty storm, scat-
tered over the earth like fragments on the
waters ; and instead of disappearing or ming-
ling among the nations, remaining a perfect-
ly distinct people, in every kingdom the same ;
meeting everywhere the same insult, mock-
ery, and oppression ; finding no resting-place
without an enemy soon to dispossess them ;
multiplying amidst all their miseries, so that
althongh they were left few in numbers, were
they now to be restored, the land would over-
flow for the multitude of men ; surviving
their enemies, beholding unchanged in them-
selves, the extinction of many nations, and
the convulsions of all ; robbed of their silver
and gold ; often bereaved of their very chil-
dren ; disjoined and disorganized, but uniform
and unaltered ; ever bruised, but never bro-

SKCOND ADVEMT OF CHRIST. 145

ken ; crushed alway, but not utterly destroy-
ed ; weak, fearful, sorrowful, and afflicted,
often driven to madness at the spectacle of
their own miseries ; the taunt, and hissing,
and mf.mj of all people ; and continuing
ever what they are to this day, a proverb
and a bye-word to the whole world. How did
every fact, from its very nature, defy all con-
jecture; and how could mortal man, n, .
lookmg a hundred successive geiierations,
have foretold any one of these wonders that
are now conspicuous in these latter times?
Who but the Father of spirits could have re-
vealed their unbounded, and yet unceasing
wanderings, unveiled all their destiny, and
unmasked the minds of the Jews and of their
enemies, i„ every age and in every clime?
Who does not see that the suflerings of the
Je^shaveirot been by chance, but by judg-

But shall the Jews always remain so ? will
the vad never be taken from their hearts ? is
^ere iio time when the Father of mercies
Will say, it IS enough, and then restore them
to h,s favor, and to their own country ! U^n
this subject, very different opinions have b^en

146

LECTURES ON THK

formed. We shall proceed to consider some
of them —

The first theory is, that the Jews never

WILL be restored TO God's FAVOR, NOR TO

THEIR OWN Land : —

The strongest reason with some is, to use
their own words, " it is obvious to all, that if
this doctrine be true^^ (that is, the restoration
of Israel) " the coming of Christ is not near^
but is an event far in the future.* Because
the restoration of the Jews, and the speedy
coming of Christ, clash together, are doctrines
that cannot be reconciled, the Adventists have
set themselves to work to s:ip and undermine
this tower of strength, whose foun ' itions have
been laid in the divine council.., and whose
superstructure is composed of prophecies and
promises delivered by prophets and apostles
yea, by the sacred persons of the Holy Tri-
nity. But they cannot succeed ; God has laid
its foundations too deep for such artificers, and
he defends it against all the attempts of strong
nations, and futile men ; a mpts have been
made to falsify Scripture prophecy respecting
Jerusalem and the Jews, but they have all

• Advent Tracts for the Times, No. 4.

IV^

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. I47

signally foiled. It is but reasonable, however
that we shonld look at the arguments of those
who tlnnk the Jews shall never be restored.
Ihe first argument is, <' Because of the
marks of Chronology „hich some of those pas-
sages bear, which are supposed to teach such a
restM-atton."

" According to Usher's chronology, all the
prophets w,.h the exception of MaJachi, pro-
phes.ed before or at the restoration of the
Jews from captivity i„ Babylon. This is a
point whiclx has not b.en sntficiently observed
by the adTOcatcs of the fnture return of the
J ews. For doubtless many predictions, wh ich
are by them applied to the future, ought to be
applied to the past."

To this we reply, that not a few prophecies
of Scripture have more than one application :
they apply to diiferent events, one illustratino!
the other ; and some of the very prophecies
which nclunlly referred to the restoration from
J:5abylon, appear to have a much more com-
prehensive meaning, and can, nay must, be
applied to Israel's retnrn before the second
Advent of Christ. Take the very first pas-
sage which a certain writer produces as

_ _J.

tECTUriES ON THE

belonging exclusively to the return of Israel
from Babylon, viz., Tsa. xiv. 1, 2 : « For the
Lord v^riU have mercy on Jacob, and will yet
choose Israel, and set them in their own land :
and the strangers shall l)e joined vith them,
and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.
And the i)eople shall take them, and bring
them to their place ; and the house of Israel
shall possess them in the land of the Lord for
servants and handmaids : and they shall take
thinn captives, tvhose ca^itives they were ; and
they shall rule over tlieir oppressors." This
passage the .said writer tries hard to make us
think belongs to the restoration of Israel from
Babylon ; we don't doubt it, but we think it
contains promises which were not realized at
the return from Babylon, for instance, the
names of Ijoth Jacob and Israel hero appeared
to be used with design as comprehending
the twelve tribes, whereas only two tribes,
Judah and Benjamin, were captives in Baby-
lon. Again it is said, " strangers shall be
joined wuth them, and they shall cleave to
the house of Jacob." Now the history of
Judah and Benjamin's return does not show
us that the Chaldeans, to such an extent as is

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. U9

here spoken of, returned with the Jews to
Palestine, and cleaved to them. Again, the

prophecy says, "they (the .Tows) shall take

hey snail rule over their oppressors." Now
this was not in any sense nor i„ any decree
ftlhlled when the .Tews returned froL n^^
Ion. I has, while we admit the passage refer-
red to their return from Babylon, it ;eforsl
a stronger sense, to another retnrn mneh more
glorions to the Jews than the former was
Bhen tliey returned from I?abvIon,it was b^
an act of dcncncy on tlie part of Cyrus, king
of Persia. Bnt when they return th ncu
Ume, they will come from some parts as cZ

SX'.'""'"' ''""■ "'""''"'' "'■* ''^^- «^
But then there are other passages also which
refer to Israel's return, whicireannot wi h
any propriety be applied to their return frotn
Babylon. For instance, Isa.xi.lJ: " And U

shall set his hand again the second time to

^_l}^':J^^M^rn^^^{^^, Egypt, and
* Dr. Clarke ou text, also on Isa. xIvTsTlT

150

LECTURES ON THB

from Path ros, and from Cush, and from Elam,
and from Sliinar,and from Hamatli, and from
the islands of the sea."

Dr. Clarke s:iys this verse contains a YiW^
l>\\ecYytvhich certaiiily ronains yet to heaccom,'
plishcd. Dr. Gillies .says: " Thisd spersion is
distinguished from the Eabylonish dispersion
by several characti^rs, for it is called a second
dispersion, or the restoration from it is called
a second restoration ; and both the dispersion
and restoration here spoken of, are mentioned
as cotemporary ivitU the enlightening of the
Gentil's, by the ro'jt of Jesse, whicli indeed is
the chief subject of this chapter. The tenth
verse speaks of the enlightening of the Gen-
tiles : " And in that day there shall be a
root of Jesse, which shall stand for an en-
sign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles
seek, and his rest shall be glorious." Then,
in the prophecy, it is added, " and it shall come
to pass in that dayP viz: when the fidness
of the Gentiles shall be brought in ; " that
the Lord shall set his hand the second time
to recover his people."

Their second argument for not believing in
the restoration of the J ews, is : " Because of

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 151

the conditional nature of the national prophe-
cies,''* Now, this argument, in our estima-
tion, IS of no force at all. Admitting that the
promises of the Jews' restoration are condi-
tionah what then ? can they not comply with
those conditions, when that " blindness which
has happened to IsraeJ, until the fulness of the
Gentdes b3 come in" is removed ? take away
that judicial blindness, which is limited m its
duration, and what is to hinder the Jews be-
ing grafted in again ?

Their third argument, is : '^Because of the
fearful curses pronounced on that apostate na-
twnP To this objection, we might retort the
writers own argument, viz : that those curses
were delivered before Israel was carried into
Babylon,— and why might they not have
their fulfilment in that captivity ? But we are
not driven to such a subterfuge as this But
would reply, with the use of their s^^cond ar-
gimient, that these curses as well as the pro-
phecies, are conditional-, and if their curses
are conditional ? why may not the Jews com-
ply with those conditions, and be restored.

' Advent Tracts for the Times.

152

LECTURES ON THE

Their fourth argument, is : " Because the
middle u'cdl of partition between Jeivs and
GentileSy icas broken dmvn by Christ, never
more to be rebuilt.''^

But who that longs for the restoration of the
Jews, even dreams of bnildmg a partition
between converted Jews and converted Gen-
tiles ? nay, do we not labour to throw down
partition walls that now exist, in keeping up
the distinction between Jew and Gentile , are
w^ not sending them the Gospel, and Chris-
tian Missionaries, the Christian as well as the
Jewish Scriptures, have we not opened our
communions for their reception and our hearts
to their affection and confidence, — nay our
pulpits to their ministry and ^ur highest ec-
clesiastical offices to their converts who are
capable of filling them. While those on the
other hand who disbelieve in their restoration,
and use no means to recover them, are trying
ineffectually to keep up the distinction be-
tween Jew and Gentile to the end of the
world.

I should have been glad to take up all the
arguments of those who oppose the restoration
of the Jews, but the limits of a lecture require

%se the
vs and

never

L of the
irtition
1 Gen-
' down
dug up
e ; are
Chiis-
as the
ed our
hearts
ay our
est ec-
ho are
on the
)ratioii,
trymg
oil be-
of the

all the
oration
require

SECOND ADVENT OF CHHIST.

153

that nothing be irih-oduced but what is really
necessary to prove the point in hancL

Another theory is, that the Jews shali.

BE CONVERTED, SO AS TO BELIEVE THAT JeSUS

IS THE Messiah ; but they will not be re-
stored TO their OWN Land : —

" But if we be content with a conversion of
the Jews, without their restoration, and of
those two tribes only which are now dispersed
throughout the Christian world, and other
known parts of the earth : that these should
be converted to the Christian faith, and incor-
porated into the Christian commonv/ealth,
losing their national character and distinction ;
if this, I say, will satisfy the prophecies, it is
not a thing very difficult to be conceived ;
for, when the world is reduced to a better and
purer state of Christianity, and that idolatry,
in a great measure, removed, which gave the
greatest scandal to the Jews, tliey will begin
to have better thoughts of our religion, and
be disposed to a more ingenuous and unpre-
judiced examination of their prophecies, con-
cerning the Messiah: God raising up men
amongst them, of divine and enlarged spirits,
lovers of truth more than of any particular

354

LECTURES ON THE

sect or opinion ; with light to discern it, and
courage to profess it." *

Snch passages as the following refer to their
con'versloity but the mere absence of any refer-
ence, m those passages, to their return, does
not preclude the possibility of that return, es-
pecially when other passages clearly refer to
that event. The passage in question is
Zechariah xii. 10 : " And I will pour upon the
house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplica-
tions : and they shall look upon me whom they
have pierced, and they shall mourn for him,
as one mourneth for his only son, and sliall
be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bit-
terness for his first-born."

Now, this prophecy undoubtedly refers to
the conversion of the Jews, to believe in Christ
whom they })ierced, and to repent of their sins.
As this subject will be considered more fully
in the last theory, we shall not enlarge here.

The third theory is, that the Jews shall be
partially, or wholly restored to their own land,
but not co7iverUdy so as to believe Christ is the
Messiah.

* Bishop Burnett's Notes, p. 416.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

155

The author of the " coming straggle" says,
" the restoration of the Jews is a work of time,
and will require between fifty and sixty years
to accomplish. When Gogue comes to be
lord of Europe, like Pharaoh of old, he will
not permit Israel to remove themselves and
their weaUh bsyond his reach. His dominion
must, therefore, be broken before tho north
w^ill obey the command to give np, and the
south to "keep not back;" and even Israel
must tight their way to Palestine, as in the
clays of old. The truth is, there are two
stages in the restoration of the Jews, the first
is before the battle of Armageddon ; and the
second after it; but both pre-millenial ; God
has said, ^'I ivill save the tents of Judah first, ''^
This is the first stage of restoration. Judah's
submission to tbe Lord Jesus, will give them
no right to eternal life, or to the glory and
honor of the kingdom ; it juslly entitles them
to the blessedness of living in the land under
the government of Messiah and the saints. —
(pp. 91, 92.) " Tliere is, then, a partial and
primary restoration of the Jews before the
Advent of Christ, which is to serve as the
nucleus, or basis, of future operations in the

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156

LECTURES ON THE

restoration of the rest of the tribes after he
has appeared m the kingdom. The pre-ad-
ventiial colonization of Palestine will be on
purely political principles, and the Jewish
colonists will return in unbelief of the Mes-
siaship of Jesus, and of the trnth as it is in
Him. They will emigrate thither as agri-
eulturists and traders, in the hope of ulti-
mately establishing their commonwealth, but
more immediately of getting rich in silver
and gold, by commerce with India, and in
cattle and goods, by their industry at home,
under the efficient protection of the British
power.' ^ These statements will be best met
by considering,

Fourthly: the last theory which we intend
to mention, viz. : that the jews will be

BOTH CONVERTED, SO AS TO BELIEVE IN JeSUS,
AND RESTORED TO THEIR OWN LAND.

The Scripture proofs that the Jews will be
ultimately converted to the faith of Christ,
are so numerous, that we can only make a
selection of them, and add to each such re-
marks as may convey the force of the passe "-e
more effectually to the mind. ^

In Isaiah Ixii. 4 : " Thou shalt no more be

!-:

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

157

termed forsaken ; neither shall thy land any
more be termed desolate, but thou shalt be
called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beiilah : for
the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land
shall be married." Now, if this prediction
belonged to the return from Babylon, it could
7iot be true, for it says, <^ thou shalt no more be
termed forsaken; neither shall thy land any
more be termed desolated But did not Christ
utter a lamentation over Jerusalem, and de-
clare their house was left unto them desolate,
and that they should not see him until they
should say, " Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord."~Luke xiii. 35. Let
their history before Christ came, be compared
with their history since, — they crucified the
Lord of life and glory ; and tell us whether
they have not been forsaken — whether their
house, the temple, and their city, yea, and
their very country, have not been desolate for
nearly 1800 years,— desolate in such a^way
as they never were before, and whether they
are not, even yet, desolate. Now, as this can-
not be denied, we look for another restoration.
to their own land, that shall never be fol-
lowed by another dispersion ; for Israel shall

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Itl*^

I WL.

158

LECTURES ON THB

be called llephzi-bali : that is, « my delight
IS in her," and Palestine shall be called
« Beulah," that is, married. Thus God speaks
of Israel again becoming his delight, and the
connection of Israel with Palestine, he com-
pares to the hoiuh of matrimoiiy, which noth-
ing shall dissolve but death itself. Besides,
this restoration is spoken of as being coicmpo-
raneous wilh the co?tversio?i of the Gentiles,
(verse 2.) "and the Gentiles shall see thy
rigl^teousness, and all kings thy glory."

In the book of Ilosca, iii. 4, 5 : '^ For the
children of Israel shall aljide many days with-
out a king, and without a prince, and with-
out a sacrifice, and w^ithout an image, and
AvithoLit an ephod, and without teraphim :
Afterward shall the children of Israel return,
and seek the Lord their God, and David their
king; and shall fear the Lord and his good-
ness in the latter days." Dr. Clarke, upon
this passage, says: 'Miitherto this prophecy
has b^en literally fulfilled. Since the destruc-
tion of the temple by the Romans, they have
neither had ling, nor ^prince, nor any civil
government of their own, but have lived in
different nations of the earth as mere exiles ^

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

159

tliey hiive neither priests nor sacrifices, nor
urim, nor thummim ; no prophet— no oracle^
—and no commimication from God of any
kind." This was to continue " many days,"
and it has continued now nearly 1800 years,
and it will continue till they acknowledge
Him as their Saviour, whom they crucified
as a blasphemer, 13ut the prophecy assures
us that these days of destruction shall pass
away, " and the children of Israel shall return
and seek the Lord their God, and David their
king," that is, Messiah, the son of David;
" and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in
the latter day."

Again, in Zechariah, xii. 10, 11, and xiii. 1,
we read : « And I will pour upon the house of
David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusa-
lem, the spirit of gmce and of supplications :
and they shall look Tipon me whom they have
pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one
mourneth for his only son, and shall be in
bitterness for him,as^onc that is in bitterness
for his first born. In that day there shall be
a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourn-
ing of Iladadrimmon in the valley of Megid-

don. In that day there shall be a fountain

\ i

160

LECTURES ON THE

opened to the house of David and to the inha-
bitants of Jerusalem for sin and for unclean-

ness.- We sliall quote the words of Erown
upon this passage, as being better than any
thing of our own. He says : « The first step
]n the wondrous process here described, is the
descent of the Spirit upon them natmmlhj,-^
and, first, he comes upon them as a " Spirit
of grace;'' this will bring them into a con-
vinced, humbled, anxious state, prompting
them to confess their iniquity, and the iniquity
of tlieir fathers, and that they have walked
contrary to the Lord ; but, along with this, he
shall come as a '' spirit of suppHcatmz,'' lead-
ing them to cry unto God for mercy. In this
frame, their heart, nov/ turned to the Lord,
fhe veil dro2Js from their eyes, and an object of
surpassing glory, yet to them of startling and
heort-breaking aspect, stands confessed before
their view: It is Jesus. "They look (by
iliith) on Him whom they have pierced; and
discern now in thao bleeding Saviour, their
oivn very Messiah, their heart rnelfs within
them, their rcpentings are kindled together,
and they mourn for him, as one mourneth for
an only son, and are in bitterness as for a first

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 161

born. And, oh ! what an unexampled mourn-
ing will that be ! for its intemlty,—^^ the
mourning of Hadadrimmon, when their fore-
fathers wept so bitterly at the death of Josiah,
—for its universality, " the land shall mourn ;"
for its i7ulividuaUty, <• all the families that
remain, every family apart, and their v-ives
apart." But the most glorious, will be its
evangelical diameter. It will be the pure
fruit of a believing look upon Hi i whom they
have pierced. And, O ! when they see that
blood which, as a nation, they murderously
shed, turned into a fountain open to them-
selves for sin and for uncleanness, how will
they be disposed to exclaim to their Gentile
brethren every where, '-come, hear, all ye
that fear God, and I will declare v/hat he
hath done for my soul."

Let us now look into the New Testament,
and see if there is nothing here to warrant-
the expectation, that Israel will be restored
Matt, xxiii. 39 : Christ said unto the Jews,
** Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall
say, Blessed is he that cojmth in the 7tame of the
Lord:' Does not, then, this passage teach
us, that as soon as the Jews shall acknow-

162

LECTURES ON THE

ledge Jesus to be the Messiah, then they shall
see him by that fliith which bringeth salva-
tion. Again, in Luke xxi. 24— where Christ
IS speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem,
and the dispersion of the Jews, he says,
" And they shall fall by the edge of the sword,
and shall be led away captive into all na-
tions ; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down
of the Gentiles, u?2til the times of the Ge7itiles
be fulfilled:' This passage also limits the
tin^e of the Jewish dispersion, till the times of
the Gentiles he fiiJ filled.

h\ 2 Cor. iii. 15, 16, we read, "but even
nnto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is
upon their heart, nevertheless when it shall
turn to the Lord, the vail shall be tiiken away."
That is, when the writings of tlie Old Testa-
ment Scriptures are read by the Jews, their
minJs are so blinded thnt they can not see
Jesus to be the Messiah; but when (hey turn
to the Lord Christ, tlien the vail will bp taken
away, and they shall see clearly that this
Jesus is the prophet of whom Moses did write.
Rom. chap. 11. In this chapter, says Dr.
Clarke, St. Paul << discourses concerning the
extent and duration of the rejection of his

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

163

countrymen, to prevent their being insulted
and despised by the Gentile Christians. — 1st.
As to the exfent of this rejection, it is not
tib^oiulejy universal ; some of the .lews have
embraced ilie Gos[iel, and are incorporated
into the Christian Church, Avith the believing
Gen' lies ; upon the case of these believing
Jews, he comments in the first seven verses.
He siys: 'Hath God cast away his people ?
QddforhkV he solemnly exclaims, and proves,
by his own case, that they were not uncondi-
tionally reprob:i ted, even then., when they had
but lately perpetrated the crime of murdering
the Just One."

Again, the Apostle says, ver. 25-27 : " That
blindness in part is happened to Israel, until
the fulness of the Gentiles be come in ; and
so all Israel shall be saved : as it is wTitten,
There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer,
and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob :
For this is my covenant unto them, when I
shall tike away their sins."

In this passage, the Apostle teaches that
partial blindness, or blindness to a fart of
them, had happened to Israel; and even that
blindness is limited in its duration " untU the

164}

LECTURES ON THE

M'tess Of the Gentiles be come in ;" that is.
Wl a mu titude of nations or Gentiles shal

' s T n '" ^"""' ' ""^ *'^«^ *'"« kind-
ness shall be removed, and the Jews will em-

br^ce .he fa,th of Christ. Ho says luiw:

tlieyshall be h^ught into U. ^oay rf sal^atro:
by acknowledging the Messiah. We do not
suppose the Ajwstle here means that every
Jew, young and old, shall be converted to
God, and born of His spirit, but they will be
brought nito the way of being saved."

The Apostle says still furtlier: "As it is
written, there shall come out of Zion the De-

jZb " 'sf ?"/ '"" "^"^' --Somnes. from
Jacob. &t. Paul, in quoting thse words from
i^a^a/., has committed a serio.s blunder, ac-
ccrdmg to a writer already referred to, be-
cause lie quotes a passage from a prophet who
urote before Israef, return from caj.tcvUv, and
applies the passage to Israel's restoration be-
lore tiie second oomiog of Christ. But we
need not say, that St. Paul knew better how
to apply prophecies to certain events, than
those modern prophets, who have made so
many mistakes.

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 165

We have thongkt it desirable to divell upon
tins theory, and shew at large, that we believe
the restoration of the Jews will comprehend
their restoration to the Church of God, by be-
lieving that Jesus Christ is the ^Messiah, and
also their restoration to Palestine, their own
land. We have made a very small selection
of those passages which refer to these glorious
results. A quotation from Dr. Gumming will
conclude this part of our subject: " I antici-
pate, then, the restoration of the Jews to their
fatherland, and that, too, speedily. Many
texts are my witnesses here. Nor is it in
vain that their hopes still converge, and kindle
as they converge, from a thousand points to
Jerusalem ; and that their affections nestle
even amidst its ruins, as in their beloved and
congenial home. It is true, there is much
superstition associated with their veneration
for the city of David j but there is also much
that IS truly significant. * * * * The captives
on the banks of the Euphrates did not present
a more touching spectacle, nor do the words
of the Psalm, ^ Thy servants take pleasure in
her stones, and favor the dust thereof,' re-
ceive a more striking illustration. The out-

166

LECTURES ON THE

l!S-

casts of Jerusalem cling to its ruins, and
cherish its very dust. Like ivy plants, they
announce the wreck, while they labor to ar-
rest it. How rooted is Judaism in the heart
of a Jew ! what terrible assaults has it with-
stood ! what fiery elements has it survived !
Satan has corrupted it, indeed, but he has not
conquered it. He has overshadowed it with
superstition, but he has not destroyed it.—
Even after the lapse of eighteen centuries,
bngljit sparks of the live glory start up at inter-
vals from the encompassing rubbish— rays of
the Shccmah occasiouixnj leap, like lightning
splendors, athwart the clouded canopy which
once glowed with stars as the city of God.
* * * * JMay it not be, that the tidings which
have lately come so often from Judea, are the
deepening echoes of the returning footsteps of
Jehovah, to reign over all the earth— to close
the days of Zion's mourning— to shine before
His ancients gloriously— to re-kindle on Mount
Zion that pyramid of light that shall flame to
heaven, and wrap Europe, Africa, Asia, and

America,inonegloriousapocalypse?Manyand
multiplying are the signs of its appearing."*

•Lect. on Apoc, p. 394. ~~ ~~ ~

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

167

Let ns now proceed to consider —

Fifthly : the time when this restoriition
may be expected : —

The author of the « Toming Struggle"
says : " The restoration of the Jews is a work
of time, and will require between fifty and
sixty years to accomplish. The truth is, there
are two stages in the restoration of the Jews ;
the first is, before the battle of Armageddon;
and the secrnid, after it ; but both pre-mil-
lenial." (p. 91.) This writer, you remember,
expects the great battle of Armageddon to
take place before 1863; and before that, he
expects a partial restoration of the Jews to be
brought about.

Bishop Newton says : " about the time of the
fall of the Othman e^Jipire, and of the Chris-
tian Antichrist, the Jews shall turn to the Lord,
ami he restored to their oivn landP The Bishop
also expects their return to take place about
the time of the great battle of Armageddon ;
but he supposes the Gog and Magog of that
battle, to be the Turks, and he quotes the
words, and " they shall come up against the
children of Israel in the latter days," to oppose
their settlement in their own land, " and they

168

LECTURES ON THE

*i '$i

I i

shall fall," ill some extraordinary manner,
" upon the mountain of Israel, they and the
people that are with them, so the house of
Israel shall know that I am the Lord their
God, from that day forward."*

A^ain, it is expected the Jews will be re-
stored about the time when Antichrist shall be
destroyed', that is, the system of Popery.—
The Bishop already quoted, says : « The re-
storation of the Jews, and the fall of Anti-
christ, shall happen about the same time. If
the ' sixth vial' (Rev. xvi. 12,) which is
poured out on the great river Euphrates,
whose waters are dried up to prepare a pas-
sage for \\v, kings of the East, is to be under-
stood, as Mr. Mede, and others think, of the
return of the Jews,— then the return of the
Jews is one of the seven last plagues of A?iti^
Christ, But this notion is expressed more
clearly in Daniel xi. 36 : ^ He shall prosper
till the indignation,' that is, God's indigna-
tion against the Jews, ' be accomplished.'
And again, afterwards, (xii. 7,) < When God
shall have accomplished to scatter the power
of the holy people, all these things shall be
* Dis. ou Prop., p, 609. '

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

1G9

finished.'" * In consequence of, and in con-
formity to this doctrine, a tradition hath pre-
vailed among the Jews, that "the destruc-
tion of Rome, and the redemption of Israel
shall fall out about the same time."t

Again, it appears, from some of the predic-
tions which refer to the restoration of the
Jews, that the event shall occur ahmit the
time of the general conversio7t of the Gentiles,

Isaiah xi. 10, 1 1, a passage we have already
quoted : " And in that day there shall be a
root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign
of the people ; to it shall the Gentiles seek :
and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall
come to pass in that day^ that the Lord shall
set his hand again the second time to recover
tlie remnant of his people, wdiich shall be
left," &c. " This passage," says Dr. Gillies,
** seems plainly to make the restoration of the
Jews, which it describes, cotempcrary w^ith
that happy period, the bringing in of the ful-
ness of the Gentiles, which it describes."
Again, " The end of the dispersion of the
Jews, is not only made cotemporary wiX\\ the

* Di3. on Prop., p. 700.
fib.

.J_^

170

LECTURES ON THE

gene;

m'^

end of the jirophetic wonders
more particularly y^^iih. :]io end of what is
called time, times _ and m? half;'' (Dan. xii. 7,)
and this we have shewn, will be " the end of
the npostacy, delusion, and persecution, and
the time of the universal conversion of the
nations, so that this affords another proof; that
the final restoration of the Jews should be
cotemporary witli the conversion of the ful-
ness of the Gentiles."*

" let me notice another fact," says Dr.

Gumming,! " namely, that at the close of the

destruction of E-ome, there is heard a new

and remarkable song, aiallelujah, for the

Lord God omnipotent reigneth!' And airain,

it is added, they said, aiallelujah, and her

smoke rose up for ever and ever ;' and, * I

heard a great voice of much people in heaven,

saying. Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and

honor, and pov/er, unto the Lord our God.' I

showed you tliot the drying of tjie Euphrates

is to prepare the way for the conversion of the

Jews. Now notice here, the first Hebrew

word, in the songs of the redeemed in the

* Essay on Prop., p. 170,
t Lect. on Apoc, p. 438.

SECOND ADVEVT ni. „,.

nuvtST OP CUniST. 171

Apocalypse, occurs in this vnr,,

namely, Hallelujah- nU t 1 ^- '''''''Se.

isheardi„Uxoca;J'o;;;.^'r"T
ins Hallelnjah. I believe ' """""^ ' «°""d-

fiIme„tofthei,romise of ,! " '"'* *° '"^^
Tm,r, *i • ' ^ °' '"e conversion of the

Jew., thc.r restoration to th.ir o^vn land Id
their worshippinjT ],;,„ _,, y . /'^'"•'^"'^

iathers crnoi&d onZvZ T'^T ''"'''
remarkable corroW ^" ^"'^ '' '« ^ most
.''"''' corroborative proof of this ihnt
Kimchi, a very celel>,-nfr..l t • i, '

tor. makes the tnlT , ^'^'''' '=°mmenta-

Pap.l Rome sSr"°^ °'T""""°" = ' -'-"
1 vome sJiall be desolated, then shMl

t^rt:T;ttnt/?*°^'^^'=°-'^-

cede the immed' : t" e jo^^^^ '^^^ P-

-d ho. Morions will-uir r';:^^;'
Jew and (xentilo ^hn^^ i • "^ ' "®^^

reigiicth.' " ^""'^ omnipotent

1 shall refer but to one nuihnr

172

LECTURES ON THE

Wii

!ii

be saved !— the only question may be, ^vhen 1
The time when this return of the natural
Israel into the bosom of the Church of God
shall take place, is by many postponed to such
a late period as deprives tliem of all the prac-
tical benefit which should grow out of the
hopes we are thus permitted to cherish con-
cerning them. They are looked upon as so
peculiarly depraved, so deeply sunk in intel-
lectual and moral degradation, and especially
as so riveted in alienation from the blessed
truths of the. Gospel, that no rational hope, it
is supposed, can be entertained of their being,
by any ordinary means, converted to the faith
of Christ, and so the era of their restitution
to the state and privileges of God's people is
thrown back to the very close of time, mingled
up with the throes of the world's dissolution,
and reckoned among the physical and moral
wonders, with which the present constitution
of things is to be wound up. It is not my
intention to enter into any minute inquiry
regarding the precise period of the complete
conversion of the Jevv^s, as predicted to take
place in the latter days ; but I do say, there
are purposes to be served by the Jewish peo-

)e, tvhen ?
) natural
ti of God
;d to such'
the prac-
iit of the
;rish con-
pon as so
in intel-
especially
lo blessed
al hope, it
leir being,
) the faith
restitution
; people is
3, mingled
issolution,
a.nd moral
)nstitiition
LS not my
e inquiry
! complete
}d to take

say,

there

J wish peo-

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 173

P'e after their conve ..on which hnti, .
suj'pose the existenc of- st^fnn., ^'^'

stautialiy the same ' *"'^' ^"^-

require to be prZcl. ■ ^T"*' ^"'^ ^^^

1 uu piosecuteo tnrouffh a consifloT-.^

ble lapse of time -v . fe" ^ considera-
, uine,— V iistance, <<Thnf tliA
Jews, when converted shall h. li

STl"::^'^^^^^^ anclcom.

In^^^^^^ ^^ '^'^ Gentiles.'-

great eS^TN"' ""'" ^'^^^ *^-^ «-e
^reai events, the destructmi of Antichrht th.

accLp Jriho'^tt r^r ^^''^

-hether one of these shlnTelJrLfo::
the rest, or whether the work ,1

We are fully persuaded that all the.^ fl.,-n
tween Christ^s ascension to heaven nn^ i,-
♦Lecture on Jews, p. 37».

. i :

sf*^'"

174

LECTURES.

yet accomplished, and there appears no possi-
bility of completing it in the present year, we
do not, we cannot, bring ourselves to believe
Christ's second Advent will take place A. D,
1854, as the "Adventists" assert.

After all the work spoken of is completed
is the second Advent the?t immediately to take
place? this is a point we cannot determine;
we think it is not for us to know the times or
the seasons which the Father hath put in his
own power ; let us, therefore, take heed, watch
and pray, as we know not the time.

I-ECTURE VL
THE MILLENNIUM..
PART L

PRE-MILLENNIAL VIEWS.

ne,aer/us image, ncW.r kZrcTllTr""''^ '"' *''«-*,

t'>at onr Saviour suJ^l^^'^T ''''''"^'
^ith ,he faithful upon?, ,"";'«'"':' y-^ars

^esurrecuon, before tLf„"^^f^'- '"^^ «-t
Jiappiness.' ' * '^ompJetioii of final

176

I'ECTURES ON THE

r'. (1

il^e name "Mmenmum," is derived from
the words « turner a thousand, and " ann^^'
a yea., and signifies the space of a tho^nd

state of the Cluirch upon earth.

This doctrine is supposed to be of Jetoish
ong,n The tradition which fixes the ZlZ
Jon of the world, in its present imperfect
s ate, to S.X thousand years, and announces
the approach of a Sabbath of one tbousS
years of universal peace and plenty, to be
tvshered nr by the glorious advent of the Mes-
siah. Tnis tradition has been traced up to
lil.as, a rabbuiical writer, who flourished about
two centnries before the birth of Christ. The
Jews understood several passages of the pro-
Fjets as referring to this millennium, in
. hich, according to their carnal apprehensions,
t e Messiah is to reign on earih, and to bring
all nat.ons wuhm the pale, and under subjec!
t.o„ to the ordinances of the Jewish church.
■'h..s view IS still entertained by the Jews
unto the present day. y^ieje^s

This doctrine of the Jews has been adopted
w,th modifications, by some CW.««iE'
Justin Martyn, the most aaieient of the Father "

SECOND ADVENT nt. ^

^iXT OP CHRIST.

Was a o-rpof „, • i/7

"">• &.W ,/J,^ ,,;:;2 ; he believed that

'f^rs. But this oviniT ' ■^"' " ""^'-'^^"d
'°-<^d5 for tho„,rt r ""V^'^"^''-^ &1-

yas „ot admitted by one T °' ""■' ''""'^^'e
«•« &.t eminence, ^tTet '"°''' '''^"^''^ of

«moi,g the ancients a^ in"'' ''"'' o«iers
tones of MosheiC^ J^f '"' '^ "^ h-

Conned an artide ofL'ff ''^""^^'■' "o^
*ny nation. - ''^ established creed in

'•the London Encvv^l^v, i-
f succinct view of , ° T'n'^ '"^P"^'« "'^ ^^'ith
^c^Wd in the fonn!:;:S:;!7-' - - -as

'About the middlp „f <, '^
MiUo.arians held ' fi,n '* °""*'"T, the
That the citv nf r '^""^^^"S tenets : x..

-' that the'^i';/:^:!- f-" oe .e-b. t^"
^f o„ of thoset^^,:' ,';;'- ■^'^^:^" ''^ "- '^abi.'
thousand years. sL' rV^'f," °" ^^--^'^ «

4 v",'- ^^^^"^Di^tTT^

178

LECTURES ON THE

but hat afrer the fel, . Antichrist all the iust
are u, n,se and all that are then on the eS
are to continue for that .space of tin^e. 3!

veil, ciuci t)e seen on n-irtii .^, ^
wUh h.« servants. 4thly. That the s^ r
dunng tins ponod, shall enjoy all the de^f
of a terrestrial paradise." Modern pre mi
emahsis have partially adopted thesi vi ^ '
and yet among ti^ese moderns there i but
ittle harmony „, their opinions. M'e sha
briefly state some of then- v^ews, and J '
Foeeed to e.xamane the articles of .he-rctd
L.shopJvewton^says: " When these grel
even s sl,all conre to pass, of which we coTlec
from the prophecies dus to be the proper o der
-1 be Protestant wtne.ses shall be greaUv'

exalted, aad.he 1260 years of their iCe
syiug lu sackcluth,. and of ,he tyrannIX;

beast, shall erul togeUrer, the eo.v"fo:'and
K.torat,onofthe.iewssueeced,theni:t
"" ;■"'" :' '''' f'"""''-^'^ 12n,pire, and the. t L
total destrc,et,on of Home and oi Antiehr s^

_jLtiy!i'!!lif2!!i^_topa.s-then shall the
* Di3. oii Prop.

SECOND ADVEZ^T Oir CHRT..
, . , ^' CHRIST. 170

'i^^^ • St John r?.?'r"- -'' 2^- So

r^et, < featan is bound,' &c 7? '" l'''""

I' 's, I conceive to thl ^°-~^'=v- xx. 2-6.
f " of Antichrist; the ^ e'/Tf.^' -e„t._the
J«^-. and the begi . h "o; « r"' "^^ "^^
^''"«i«m, thut life th 1 , r ^ ''°"' ^''"-
Daniel, of ,26o iar " V'^'^^--'* ^'^^s i„
y--> --o to be r^rlJl T7 ""' ^^^5
««'"!, ' Blessed is ho th ,t ■ '^ "' ^^"^1
to the J335 year s' r '*'"' "'"' Cometh
John sni,h.< 4^2; ~f,«"--^"- 12. So St.

P"t in the first^ Ir .'^ " '"'^ *''^^* '^"^th

P-'-od ,. and itt "J '" ""' "'■" ''^ this
"'"'■tyr.s and confesso s of r" '"' '''"' '""^

°ft>»-sfohcity. TeoTj !';:7^f./,«r>art„ko

180

I-ECTUEES ON THE

and rested on the seventh, so the world, it is
argued, will continue six thousand years, and
the seventh thousand will be the great Sab-
batism, or holy rest of the people of God.
According to tradition, too, these thousand
years of Uie reign of Christ and the saints
arc the great day of judgment, in the morn-
ing, or beginning whereof, shall be the coming
of Christ in flaming fire, and the particular
judgment of Antichrist, and the first resur-
rection ; and in the evening, or conclusion
whereof, shall be the general resurrection of
the dead, small and great."

But the most remarkable of modern opinions
on this subject was much spoken of a few
years ago, as espoused by several evangelical
clergymen of the Church of England, and the
Rev. Mr. Irving. This gentleman delivered
his opinion upon the subject, which I shall
abridge from the London Encyclopedia:*
" That the present visible church of the
Gentiles, which hath been the depository of
the oracles and the sacraments, since the
Jewish state was dissolved— -I mean the mixed
multitude who have been baptized in the
♦ Vol. xiv., p. 621.

V-^:.

SECOND ABVTVT „„

"'"■^^T OP CHRIST. 181

name ofihn Ti-;.-,;*..

<atl,ohcs, Greek Church ° "'^"^ ^^«>man

^«d nil the sects of cS ^f ""?™"''' *°-'

f-'eth .hr;;^' ' rsr'^^'r'^'

because of its hv,.n„ ■ ^^ scriptures,

tio«s, i„fi I It' 'C' idolatries, supersti-'
^vith such a tLib f "T™""' ^-ickecluess,
been, nor ever shn J ^ f "''^' "^ ^^^«' "o'

fore in the dest ttction "fT'' "^"^ ^''''"^
she in i;i-» ^^™°"°n of Jerusalem, when

n; i lrr^'r'/"'^^ "l- ^^e measur^

ii»d.e tX!;:j ri^r^trr?"^"-

of the times and L' the , ""^ "^^ ^■S"^
expressly given ™'^;i-P^^^^^

of these great Gentile t^^r" k'^'""
-ntionedinscripture^SCfr'alJlet

t .femg of witnesses against the Gentilos-anH
the execution is proceeding, he wi be^in to
prepare anotlicrarlrnrf * ^^'^ i)to]n to

make the whole 1, , i.f' T"'/ °""*""' *«

and to th»f ^li •? "''' °^ testimony ;

d to that end will turn his Holy Spirit unto

ill

182
his

LECTURES ON THE

ancient people the Jews, who, with the
election according to grace, who still are faith-
ful among the Gentiles J though I helieve it
will chiefly be by the sending of Elias, who
is promised before the terrible day of the
Lord, and by other mighty and miraculous
signs.

" That these judgments upon the Gentile
nations and all the earth,he will finish by his
own personal appearance in flnraing fire, tak-
ing vengeance on those ^dio know not God,
and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesas
Christ 5 raising those who sleep in Jesus, and
changing those of the Gentile church who
still abide in life; and preserving the mourn-
ing Jewish church ; and when the promised
land shall have been cleared of all intruders,
and they themselves, by suffering, perfected
for the ha])itation of it, he shall lead them
into it with a mighty and outstretched arm :
and sit upon the throne of David, judging and
hasting righteousness— and rule among the
nations, and be the prince of universal peace ;
using, in this judgment and government of the
earth, his risen saints, who shall be his minis-
ters to execute his pleasure. And thus Satan,

SECOND AUVENT OP CHRIST. Jgg

being cast out, and the prince of )• ^.
the heavenly Jerusalem^ ^ h tit' '""^
Jacob, and all the nations o > "'' °^
fulness of peace and .,?.'" ""^"y ''^^t

of.ighteoLtJtst^::"^;?""''^'-^^'^

pray." ^^ ^^ ^^^ liope and

If our space would n.-lmi'f ^^ •.

easily nHd/iply.nes'onota . ' '^' '""''^

«o wo shonl 1 have to vT.ll' *""* '" '^"^"^
same thiuc^s i, 1! ^ «»tetantiully the
iuuit,&, ni some more and in nti>„ i

t an what we have already ^v We "'

also several shades of ,l;ff ' '"'°

iHilfenarlans npcm 'imo ""'" "'™"-" *«
1 . . ''i>^n almost evei'v nm'nf ,•„ +i

doctnno of fii,. , -n • ^ point ni the

lenariault , ' L" ;^ " """^ ^"'^ -""

their ov.-n cl; '^ *''°"S''' •="»" adorn

withthp ' "'' "' »l'l"-'"recl consistent '

witli the coniino; of Christ -if ,; • *"'^cnt

J jurist at the millennium.

384.

LECTURES ON THE

One of llie mlllenarian writers says, " Wo
maintain that Christ has not yet received any
Idngdoyn %eldch he can deliver up, *

" The notion," says another, " that the
kingdom of Christ signifies the present visible
Christian Church, or the Christian rehgion in
the hearts of God's people, or both,— and that
it has been oncm'ifcsted to the ivorld ever since
the c&tahlis]tme?rt of Christianity, is, in the
main, erroneous, inasmuch as it mistakes the
mea7is for the end, and substitutes what may
be considered as the ^preparation for the king-
dom, for the establishment and manifestation
of itr t

We now proceed to show, in opposition to
the above, that Christ'^s kingdom is already in
bein

'S-

When John the Baptist announced Mes-
siah's approach, everything concurred to give
weight to his testimony. Guided by the signs
of the times, and by the chronological predic-
tions, expectation was every where awake for
the first sound of Messiah's steps. From all
parts of the country they flocked to the man
of God, who cried aloud in the wilderness,

* Quoted by Brown on second Advent, p. 126. '

fib.

ik^Mk:

SECOND ADVEVT n-

AilVEyT OF CHRIST. 185

" Repent ye, for the kino-dnm ^f i

hand: Prepare ve tL , T ''^*^«'» '» at

followed the s!Zn . t .. ^ '' '"^''^

-1-wastored:; rer^'^'^'^'^-'-
from tlieir enem,V« ^ 7«el-savmg them

tl-t hated IT"' B'tr;'^'""''"*"''
Lord couvinced them thl / '''''=°"^««« «f our

-Sr 1^-FS:; Chr.t.

wa.,3^:-

l^eing a proplxet, and knowinf "at t^w'"
sworn with an oath to him tL tr^, ^"'
of his loins he would mS„ A '" ^"'^

^'i' (David's) throne Z ^ "'''' '" ''* "^

of God exalte Tnd "" ^ "'' ''§'" '"^"'^

^atherther;:iit:rSi:n;r/'''°

«hed forth this. TherSr! It in;-'"'''
on-elknowass„rod,y,th;tGo"hr:^^^^

o^\^

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186

LECTURES ON THE

that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
both Lord and Christ."— Acts ii. 29-36.

Here it is stated, as explicitly as words can
do it, that the promise to David of Messiah's
succession to his throne has received its ifite?ided
accompHshment — that God has raised up Christ
to sit upon that throne, — and that his first
exercise of regal authority from the throne of
Israel was to send down the Spirit, as had
that day been done. He also states that God
liath made that same Jesus both Lord and
Christ, that is, he affirms that Christ's present
exaltation was his proper lordship or royalty,
as Messiah ; he hath made him both Lord to
RULE, and Christ to save you.

Again, in Rev. iii. 7, 8, 12 : " These things
saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that
hath the key of David, he that openeth ami no
man shutteth,and shntteth and no man open-
eth; I know thy works; behold I have set
before thee an open door, and no man can
shut it : Him that ovcrcometh will I make a
pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall
go no more out," &c. Here Christ speaks of
using the key of the house of David in his
administration of the church, so that the house

■M

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 187

Of David evidently means the Church of the
Kedeemer, u-hich he governs with royal
authority. ■*

But let us look back to the writinsrs of the
mspred prophet, Isaiah ix. 6, 1, ..l,o, i„ anti-
cipafng the birth of Christ, says : " For unto
us a chdd >s born, i„Uo us a Sou is given : and
the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Council or, the mighty God, the everlasting

I'atlier,the Prince of Peace Of tho •
„,. o^Jiifcdct,. uj tlie increase

or his government and peace there shall be
"o erid, upon the throne of David, and upon
his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it
^vi h judgment and with justice, from hence-
forth even fbr ever." Here the sovereignty
of Chns IS most clearly and stro„gi;se'^
forth, and Us r^ghtco^,s charm,, ^ i..«.";4 and
pcrpeluUy, distinctly stated. *

Another article in the pre-miUennial creed
IS, tliat ^/.e saznu shall reign on this earth in
glorified lodies, uitk Christ, during the mil-

These i.re-millenuialisls are not agreed as
toj<|toMM^shain,e associated with Christ

* Brown. ~ — ""

fib.

ISB

I.ECTURES ON THE

! !

m i

in his millennial reign. " The early Chili-
asts," says Brown, «so far as I have been
able to gather their views, thought that those
whom Christ will find alive at his cominjr
would be left below during the thousand years,
and only such as had died before his coming,
would appear with him in glory. But the
majority of modern pra-millennialists hold
that the saints of both classes— the dead by
resurrection, the living by instantaneous trans-
formation—will appear with Christ in glory
at the beginning of the millennium."

In answer to this we have to say, the errors
which it contains arise from the supposition
of Christ's 2'>ersonal reign in the millennium.
That the " kingdom shall be given to the peo-
ple of the saints," Daniel informs us with
sufficient clearness ; but he does not convey
the idea that the Saviour shsll first return to
OUT ivorldy and personally reign upon earth.
What we understand by the kingdom being
given to the people of the saints, is, that
Christianity shall -so far extend in the tvorldy
that all nations J kindreds and people,, trill pro-
fess it to he their religion, and thus it will sup-
plant and destroy all others '^ and then shall

ii»ii

le errors

siimuin.

«KCOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 189

the kingdoms of this world become the king-
doiiis of our God and of his Clirist

Look at li vfcg, spiritual piety, as it has been
m the world; it was not in fevor, it was
barely tolerated ; it had not .he ascendancy in
human affuirs which it onght to have obtained :
U was not the governing principle in either
private or public transactions. But in the mil-
lennuim, the tables will be turned ; religious
m.aples^vill gove,-n thecond^^tofn^en, obtain
tUe ascendamy over private conduct and public
tmmaclwm, from the higV..t to the lowest
thus bringing all into captivity to the obedi-
ence of Christ. Living Chris,i.nity exercises
h . savercrsnty of the tocU, it «u>ulds ,M in-
siuutions and affair, of men, to its own blessed
character, making " God's will to be done on
eartii, even as it is done in heaven." We
shall conclude this section in the words of
Lrown: "The difference between the two
st.t,.s of the kingdom-before the millennium
and durmg that period-is a diiforence merely
ot pro^p,ril,y mid extent-the difference be-
tween the iH-esenos and the removal of cer-
tain gigantic obstructions to its progress and
supremacy in the world ; and the removal of

190

LECTURES ON THE

which, at the appointed time, will be attended
with no change of ccnstilution, feirm or dis-
pe7isation, but will merely set free its latent
energies, and make way for the developniert
of its internal resources to the benediction of
a miserable world. As the birth of a man,
all puny though he then be, is the manifosta-
tioii of his lifej and the manhood, to which
he ultimately attains, is but the same life
developed and matured ; so the millennial
state t»f the kingdom of Christ will be but the
full expaiuion and bright dcvdoimicni of it.
This kingdom of Christ is already begun, the
Sovereign is on his throne, his conquests are
proceeding, — the little leaven will yet leaven
the whole lump of humanity; the grain of
mustard seed may grow to be a tree suflicient
to overshadow the whole earth ; but the mass
is the same, and the tree is the same, at every
stage ; the whole is there from the fii t. Ex-
fammiand devckjmient, growth and maturity ^
are all the difference ^"^"^

The next point for our consideration is, the
view entertained of the resurrection by the
pre-millennialists. They say, " when C rist
* Brown, p. 351.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 191

appears, at the bi^ginning of the millennium,
he will raise all the s lints that shall have died
hefjre tliat time, and change all that shall
then l)e alive*."~-(Brown, 167.)

We shall here introduce a quotation from
I)r. Gumming* : " The dead that fell asleep
m Jesus, and have slept many thousand years,
shall hear, when he comes, the approach of
his footfall, and recognize the sound of his
voice, and shall rise and meet him in the air.
The living that ore in Christ shall hear his
approach, too, and recognise the tones of his
voice, and shall rise and meet him, and the
risen, and quickened dead, in the air ; and
reisrn with him a thousand years. Abraham,
and Noah, and Job, shall hear his voice in their
silent sepulchres, and join him in the air.—
Paul and Peter, and John, and Luther, and
\\ ilberf )rce, and Simeon of Cambridge, and
Ven), and Wirinms, and Chalmers,— shall
obey his summons from their sequestered and
separate tombs, and gather around their glori-
ous Lord. One grave shall cleave in twain,
and I's buried tenantry shall rise and meet the'
Lord, and the other grave, that looks equally

* Lect. on Apoc, p. 473. "^ ~ "

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192

LECTURES ON THE

green, beside it, shall fail to be pierced by that
sound, or its dead dust to be moved. The
cemeteries of stone and the monuments of
bronze shall rend, and the dead saints that are
there shall come forth — its sleeping dtist shall
be quickened in every sepulchre ; and the
stones of cathedrals, and the vaults of churches,
and the green tnrf and the marble mausoleum
shall alike explode, and pour forth into the air
tl^eir troops of awakened dead. Nor less
startling will be the scenes that occur among
the living : some families shall be met together
speaking of the things of this world — in an
instant, and without warning, one shall hear
a sound significant to his heart, of glory, and
riscj as upon the lightning's wing, and with
its splendor, and leave, without a farewell, the
rest that know not Christ, and remain aston-
ished behind."

The pre-millennialists also hold that the
wicked are to rise in a body, not at the end of
the millennium, but at the end of another period
to succeed the millennium. The only direct
passage which is produced to support this opi-
nion is Rev. XX. 4-6 : — « And I saw thrones,
and they sat upon them, and judgment was

s<».m. ur \

liiiittii

SECOND ADYENT OF CHRIST.

given unto them: and I saw the souls of them
that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus,
and for the word of God, and such as had not
worshipped the beast, neither his image, nei-
ther had received his mark upon their fore-
heads, or m their hands ; and they lived and
ro^igned with Christ a thousand years. The
rest of the dead lived not again until the thou-
sand years were finished. This is the first
resurrection : on such the second death hath no
power, but they shall be priests of God and of
Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand
year»»"

We would remind you, that this passage
occurs m tlie most figumtive book in all the
bible, and is " hard to be understood ." But it is
certain this doctrine of two resurrections, one
at the commencement of the millennium, and
another afler its close, is not supported by other
parts of scripture. We would say, with Brown,
(p. 219): "It is very strange that the resur-
rection of the righteous a thousand years
before the wicked, if it be a revealed truth,
should be announced in o?te passage only, when
the subject of a resurrection is so oflen men-
tioned,-the resurrection is a theme upon

f-*

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194

LECTURES ON THE

which the apostles delighted to expatiate, yet
while they point out the naturs, grounds and
connection of the resurrection with the second
corning of Christ, the doctrine of a Jirst resur-
rection has not dropped from their p?ns." If
we k)ok to those pass \ges of scripture which
plainly refer to the re:airrect Jon, they convey
but one idea upon the subject, viz.^ that the
resurrection of the just nnd {he unjust will be
simultuneous. — Dau. xii. 2 : ^ Many of them
that sleep in the dust of the et>rth hhuW awuke,
some to eveilasting life, and some to shame
and everlasting contempt."

John V. 2S, 29.— Our Lord says : " The
hour is coming, in the which all that are in
the graves shall hear his voice, ai;d shall come
forth : they that have done good unto the resur-
rection of life,and they that have done e\ il unto
the re.' urrection of dumnution." It is scarcely
possible to express in plainer words, the state-
ment that the resurrection of both class* swill
take place at the same time.

But it may be desirable here to ndd that
the first resurrection sjoken of in Tievelation
is not to be understood liter ally ^ hut Jigura-
lively t of a spiritual resurrection ; this wil^

SECOJ.D ADVENT OF CHHIST. 195

appear pretty evident if we remember that

lus re,g„mg with Christ is said to bo bit a

thousand years when-as the righteous dead

be mor/f M ^"* ""^ *"'^Jeot will

lectr ' •="'""""'' '" '' -^-^i-nt

view°"r P='°"l''""y '« «'e pre-miUennial
juclgmrnt of the great day.

Finding it impossible to deny that the
immeduae pnrpce of Chr st's seco„<l coming
JS to judge the tcvrld, and postponing the la^t
judgment .ill a thousand years afler his com-
ing, they require to imAj^tdicial employment for
the Savionr, onwards (rom .hetimeolhis com-
ing tdl the period of the final judgmentarrivas.
For th,s purpose, the expedient by which the
judgment day h sprecul over the thousand years
has been adopted ; but this looks like a very
forced effort to save a sinking eanse ; for those

passages, which refer to the millennium.speak
of 1 not as a day of judgment, in which the
wicked are tried and condemned, but as a
tune when the righteous shall flourish.
But the scripture very clearly teaches, that

f4<

•jrr

LlIOrtUKS ON lllE

the rfghtrof^s and the wicked iri/l he Jud/rrd
togfthcr, ami both at the com ins, of Christ,
The passages which express this tnitli aro very
numerous, and amongst the- plainest in scrij)-
turo, requiring no comment. For instance :
"Whosoever, tlicre fore, shall confess me before
men, him will I conf-ss before my Father
which is in heaven ; but whosoever shall deny
me before men, him will I also deny before
irny Father which is in heaven ;" that is,
" when he cometh in the glory of his Father
with the holy angels."— Matthew x. 32, 33 ;
Mark viii. 38.

Here the acknow^ledging of the one class,
and the disowaiing of the other, are expressly
said to take place at the same time, namely,
"when Christ comes in his glory." Again,
in Matt. xvi. 27 : " For the Son of Man shall
come in the glory of his Father with his
angels, a7id then he shall reward every man
acctrding to hij works."

Here we see that both classes, and of all
agesy will be judged together.

We shall select but one passage more upon
this point, namely, Matt. xxv. 3 1-46 : " When
the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 197

all the holy anprcls with him, then shall he
sit upon the throne of his glory, and before
him shall he gathered all nations: and he
shall separnte them one from another, as a
shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats;
and he shall set the sheep on his right hand,
hnt the goats on the left. Then shall the
king say unto them on his right hand. Come,
ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the
world. Then shall he say also unto them on
the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlastmg fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels. And these shall go away into ever-
lastmg punishment ; but the righteous into
hfe eternal."

• This passage most obviously teaches, that
both parties, the righteous and the wicked,
are gathered before the throne in one mass
ac the summons of the king, next he separates
them into two parties ; and having judged
and passed sentence upon each, finally dis-
poses of both, according to their sentences.

The pre-millennialistsalso believe that Satan
shall be so bound during the millen7iium, that he
vnll be unable to exert any influence upon men,

:ri

198

LECTURES ON THE

The following passage of scripture is the
sole frcp to their theory, viz., Rev. xx. 1-3,7:
** And 1 saw an angel come down from hea-
ven, having the key of the bottrmless pit,
and a great chain in his hand. And lie laid
hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is
the Devil and Satan, and hcnnd him a thou-
sand years, and cast him into the bottomless
pit,ard shut him up, and set a seal upon him,
t^iat he should deceive the nations no more,
till the thousand years should be fulfilled ;
and after thnt he must be loosed a little sea-
son. And when the thousand years are ex-
pired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison."

If there really is a time when Satanic
influence shall cease upon earth, we may ea-r
sonabiy expect to find it referred to in other
and plainer parts of scripture ; but you may
search, and you search in vain, to find any
such inference, or even the smallest hint of
it, any where, save in this solitary passage.
And such is the figurative chnracter of this
book, that it is confessedly the most difficult
to l)e understood in the whole bible. There
are otlfer parts of scripture which clearly teach,
that those who are not the children of God

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

199

are the children of the devil, and the works
of th- ir latlier they do. St. John says : (1st
lipis. iii. 8-10) ^^ He ihat conimitteth sin is of
the devil; lor the devil sinncth from the
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God
was manifjsted that he might destroy the
works of the devil. Whosoever is born of
God doth not cotimiit sin, for his seed remain-
eth in him ; and he cannot sin, because he is
born of Gud. In this the children of God are
manifest, and the children of the devil ; who-
soever doeth not righteousness is not of God."
This passage speaks of men as consisting of
tivo classes, the children of the devil and 'the
children of God. When the apostle says,
*' he that committeth sin is of the devil, for the
devil sinneth from the beginning." The
meaning plainly is, that every sinful child of
Adam is not only the seed of the old serpent
but is actuated by him in all the sin which
he cherishes and commits. In short, nothing
can be more evident than that the apostle, in
this passage, makes it out that the devil is an
i7isei)arabh part of the fallen f^ijstem and reig.,.
of sin, the parent of all its hateful brood, and
the life of all its black fruit ; and that all who

T m ■ !

■

£ ^ IlJBWB

^F^

r ■ 1

i4-

200

LECTURES ON THE

are not born of God are the children of the
devil. Now, it is evident enough, that there
will be tares among the wheat until the har-
'vest) which is the end of the world, and con-
sequently the wicked will be actuated by
Satan during that time.

But what are we to understand by this
binding of Satan ? In Rev. ii. 3, we find it
said of Pergamos, that " Satan'' s seat^ or
tj^irone, was there, and that there Satan dwelt.
This certainly refers to the powerful party
which kratan had in that place, and the domi-
nant influence which, through them, he exer-
cised in opposition to the gospel, — a party
made up ot persecutors and licentious corrup-
lors of the truth. Now, the unseating or
dethroning of Satan, then, mi 'st mean the loss
of that party or power by which he did so
much mischief. By binding Satnn, during
the millennium, we understand, to quote from
Brown, — <•■ That during that happy period,
the cause of Christ shall carry it everywhere,
and Satan be allowed no lodgment in any
part ( f the globe, to form a public party, in
opposition to Christ: that in this sense, his
trade will be at an end ; he will have no repre-

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 201

sentatives or tools for doing his work j livin-
Christianity will probably be the instrnmem
by which fc^atan's power win thus be chained
tor a thousand years, and Satan will not be
permitted to gain an inch of ground to plant
las foot on over the icicle worlcV

Perhaps the best refutation we can give
these errors will be, by supplying, i„ the next
ecture, what we consider to be true and scrip-
tural views of the millennium.

We shall now proceed to direct your atten-
tion to tlie to;,« when the millennium shall
begm. This has been a subject of dispute
for many years-the pre-miUennialists hold-
ing that Christ's second Advent must first
take place, and then the millennium will
begm. We shall proceed to consider their
statements and arguments, for the views thev
entertain. •'

« T^.\ ^T"'"'^' ^'^'' '' "^ '^'^ opinion-
J. hat Christ will pmsonally come prior to the
millennium.'' He admits this theory has its
difficulties. He says :-" it is the law of God
hat m this dispensation, there sh:ill be no
truth that projects not a shadow around it :
the leaves of the tree of knowledge are not

202

LECTURES ON THE

to be altogether luminous in this dispensation ;
in the better world these leaves will be all
luininoiis — truth will have no ^^hadow — the
Sun of ricjliteousness will be naked — we
shall meet with no difficulty — all will be so
plain, that he that runs may read and under-
stand."

But let us proceed to consider his argument :
" That Christ's Advent is to be pre-niillennial,
I think is evidt-nt from Matt. xiii. alone.
Now, I infer from this, that the wheat, or true
believers, and the tares, or apostate and un-
righteuus, will grow together until the end of
this dispensation come; the tares are to be
fir.>t consumed, the wheat is then gathered
into happiness — i.e., the saints are raised from
the dead, and reign with Christ a thousand
years." *

Now w^e admit that the tares represent
" apostate and unrighteous" persons^ that is,
false and wicked ] rofes-ors of the Christian
religion, and that they will be found among
the righteous " until the end of this dispen-
sation come ;" but how this proves that
Christ's Advent is to take place before the

* Leet. Apoc, p. 4.10.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST,

203

millennium, we are at a loss to understand ;
for we are inclined to think that, dnrino- thj
millennium, they will not be all Israel who
are of Israel ; that there will be some unsound
professors,-but we have reason also to be-
lieve that, afier the millennium, there will be
a " hitle season" of aposfacy, when the tares
will shew themselves more prominently, and
at the close of that period the second Advent
will take place, and the tares be burned. This
will be more fully considered in a subsequent
lecture.

The next argument made use of by Dr.
Gumming is founded upon 2 Thess. ii. 8-
" And then shall that wicked be revealed*
whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming." The Dr. asks:
« What does this passage prove ? That the*
great apostacy, predicted by St. Paul, is to
prevail during the whole period from Christ's
first to his second Advent, and that this hoary
apostacy is to be consumed and utterly dcs-
troyed only by the personal Advent and
appearance of the Son of God." *
• Lee. on Apoc, p. 471. ~ ~" ~

I
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204

LECTURES ON THE

It will be admitted that the whole force of
the argument here depends upon the meaning
of the words, ^ the Lord shall consvme ivith
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy ivith
the brightness of his coming:' That this pas-
sage predicts the destruction of Antichrist is
admitted ; that subject has already been con-
sidered in a previous lecture, and we were led
to the conclusion, by examining those prophe-
cies which refer to its final doom, that the
city will probably be consumed by fire and
sword, but that the system will be destroyed
by spiritual agencies. The above passage
from 2 Thess. is in harmony with such an
interpretation, and the words " consume with
the spirit of his mouth," may refer to the des-
truction of the city,— and the words " destroy
with the brightness of his coming," may be
understood of the fulfilment of such prophe-
cies which speak of the great spiritual influ-
ences, under the figure of light, which are to
be brought to bear upon the world, through
the church, at the beginning of the millen-
nium ; and thus the " man of sin," as a sys-
tem, be destroyed by the brightness of Christ
coming in his Gospel.

Second advpvt y-.^.

AlJVEAT OF CHRIST. 205

The Dr. also supposes that o.ir Lord speaks

place at ChZ- ''''""''''^""^' and to take

ThelS o! ' r"""""""' appearance.".
-Liie dDsence of any referenoo in tu-

anrl fl,^ • 1 / "^ ^^'^^^ °^ raised first

and tlie xv^jcked afterwards • th.

micht n«jAt'«n i -^vvaras , the passage

wicked t , ?t'"'l'^°5'°^' *°^ho«^ that the
wicKcct will not be raised at ill Ti. ^

I^Iiil. Hi. 11, is dAvelt upon by the Dr nc v

to speak of n fi . ' '*P''**'«' »« niade

the dp./ V, """ ^^^ '•esurrection of

t le dead, because it is a matter of certaLv
'hat all wi 1 att'iin it. *i i-ertainty

evidently hid b'for'. "'"''"*'' *"^^"^«'
Lr;^l_beforejus eyes the >«< resur-

•Liec. on Apoc. n ^^i ' — ■ —

206

I.ECTUKES ON THE

rection, and the peculiar phraseology he em-
ploys on this occasion proves it to be so — * if
by any means I might attain the resurrection
from among the dead.' " *

There is no need to dispute the doctor's
transUition of the Greek, which he emphati-
cally renders " the resurrection /rom anwrig
the dead," for that translation conveys the
apostle's meaning more fuliy. But what does
^t. Paul mean ] We answer, it was not the
general resurrection common to both c'asses
that he \\ished f r; it was a resurrection
peculiar to believers — a resurrection different
from ihe ungodly, not with respect to its time,
but i'snattere ; and the happiness which should
follow it — a resurrection '^ from among^"^ the
dead, in which his body should be fashioned
like unto Christ's glorious body, (ver. 20, 21.)

As the above contain the most weighty
orguments used in support of a pre-milleiinial
Advent, we shall now place bef re you a diffi-
culty which greatly perplexes i!s advocates,
viz., how to account for the existence of so
large a number of wicked persons in the
world at the end of the thousand years of
* Lee. on Apoc, p. 472.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 207

Chrises personal reign upon it. They admit
that the conflagration is to take place at the
tnne of the second Advent ; but how the
wicked are to i^iirvive that ail-consuming fire,
IS with ihem this great difficulty. We'shau'
not attempt to notice all the schemes thnt
have been thought of for their preservation
or reproduction, but shall direct your attention
to one which, I believe, originated with Perry
early m the last centnry, * and which is rro'
duced by Dr. Gumming, He says : - It may
be my own dVlu.ion, but it does strike me,
that I have found the explanation of a nni-
versLilly perplexing j)oint--a confessed diffi-
culty: 'if there is to be a millennium of a
thousand yenrs with Christ, and his own peo-
pie, ni the midst of the earth, how is it that
when Satan shall be loosed, that thrre shull be
found a people in the four corners of the earth
called Gog and Magog, who shall be gathered
together in battle, and war against the snints
of God,m the resurrection body ? Now, I ad-
mit there is great difiiculty about this. I
will give what I think the probable solution
of»n^ctmittecl and perplexing difficulty. Do
* Brown, on second Advent, p. m. ~" ~

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208

LECTURES ON THE

you perceive that it is here stated, that when
the dead in Christ have risen and ascended
to the Lord, the rest of the dead lived not till
the thousnnd years were tinislied 1 I suppose,
then, that the rest of the dead, that is, the'
unconverted, are raised from their graves just
at the moment that the thousand years are
completely closed, and that * the rest of the
dead,' raised in their bodies, are those enemies
w^o make war with the saints in their resur-
rection bodies. * * * I suppose-and I
believe it is the true solution of the difficulty
—that the enemies that come from the four
corners of the earth are just nhe rest of the
dead,' raised at the close of the millennium,
and then and there, with all their vices unex-
tirpated, their natures un regenerated, their
hearts in the gall of bitterness, they shall be
headed by the archangel's enersy, and the
arch fiend^s hate, and shall make one last,
dymg, and desperate attack, upon the saints'
of God that dwell in the New Jerusalem." *
To the above we would reply, that the
accounts we have in scripture, representing
the judg-nient^s taking place immediately
♦ Lee. on Apoc, p. 683, 684. ~

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

209

after the resurrection from the dead, are deci-
dedly at variance with the above "solution
of the difficulty;" so that, when the dead
arise th.^y immediately appear before the judg-
ment seat of Christ,— from whence the wicked
depart into everlasting fire.—They have,
therefore, no opportunity to persecute the
church and fight against the cause of Christ.
At present, we would only say, the post-mil-
lennial theory entirely removes this difficulty,
as will be seen in a subsequent lecture.

Lf.„:

LECTURE VII.
THE MILLENNIUM
PART IL

POST-MILLENNIAL VIEWS.

Rev. XX. 6.
" Blessed and holy is he that hath pari in the first resur^
reciion : on such the second death hath no pouer, but they
shalbe priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign
with him a thousand yearsJ'

In our last lecture, we were led to point out
some errcTS into which we think the pre^iiil-
lenirariaiis have fallen, and lo slunv the un-
scriptural clihracter of them, but in the con-
clusion of that address, Ave int.mntcd that the
best refutation of ihose errors, would bo to
present whut we hereve to be, scriptural
vie^ws of that glorious time-the millennium
By the millennium, then, we understand
that a time is to come when the kingdom of

1 .
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11 m

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212

LECTURES ON THE

cur Lord Jesus Christ will so far obtain the
ascendancy in our ivorld, that its enemies,
i\ntichrist and the false prophet, will be de-
stroyed ; the Jews and Gentiles throughout
the whole world will profess the Christian
religion ; and as Satan will be bound, or re-
strained, the truly pious will be happy, honor-
able and numerous, far beyond any thing they
have ever before been, so that they will oc-
cupy the highest places amongst men, and
1?lius the saints will rule the world. But I
will quote the views of others upon this sub-
ject. Richard Watson, in his Theological
Dictionary, says : "Others are inclined to be-
lieve that, by the reign of Christ and the
saints for a thousand years on earth, nothing
more is meant than that, before the general
judgment, the Jews shall be converted, gen-
uine Christianity be diffused through all na-
tions; and mankind enjoy that peace and hap-
piness which the faiih and precepts of the
Gospel are calculated to confer on all by whom
they are sincerely embraced. The state of
the Christian church, say they, will be, for a
thousand years befcre the general judgment,
so pure and so widely extended, that, when

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 2 13

compared with the state of the world in the
ages preceding, it may, in the language of
Scripture, be called ^ a resurrection from the
dead.' "

A writer in the London Encyclopaedia, says,
" The most common modern opinion confines
all the predictions respecting what has been
called the millennium, to a spiritual reign of
Christ by means of the universal reception of
the Gospel, and has been thus stated: 1st.
That the Scriptures afford no ground to be-
lieve that the church will arrive to a state of
prosperity which it never has yet enjoyed.
2nd. That this will continue at least a thou-
sand years, or a considerable space of time,
in which the work of salvation may be fully
accomplished in the utmost extent and glory
ot it. In this time, the world will be filled
with real Christians, and continue full, by
constant propagation, to supply the place of
those who leave the world ; there Avill be many
thousands burn and live on the earth, to each
one that has been born and lived in the pre-
ceding six thousand years, so that if they
who shall be born in that thousand years
shall be all, or most of them, saved, (as they

214

LECTUBES ON THE

Will bo, thera w ill, on the whole, be many
thoosa.uls of mankind saved to one that shall
be lost. 3rd. 'i'his will he a state ol great
harianess and glory." Observe, we do not
profess to endorse every e.xpression or every
Idea contained ui these quotations ; we -rive
them to shew the sentiments of writers ^,011
the subject. ^

^ ;i'he Millenninra is said by Brown, to be
'jvst the full dcfclcjment of the kinsihm of
trace tn Us earthly state." 'i bis ho proves by
a variety of arguments and illustrations ex-
tendnigover twenty pages in hfs bock. 'Let
us now i^roceed to consider the mUure of the
millennium somewhat in detail.

The Lidding of Satan is spoken of in con-
nexion with the millennium, llev xx 1-3 •
"And T saw an angel come down from heaven'
having the key of the bottomless pit, and a
great chain i„ his hand. And he laid hold
0.1 the dragon, tliat old serpent, which ,s the
Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand
years. And cast him into tlie bottomless p.t

tW ,1 ''",'i 7' """^ ''' '^ ''^' "1^°« ''i™.'
t at he should deceive the nations no more,

till the thousand years should be fulfilied.''

r "

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 215

I shall here fiirni* yon with Matthew-
Henry's reiiKuks upon this pissig.-:

"We have here a proplucy of the hmdm!-
of Satan, for a c rtiin term of time, in whieii
he should have much less power, and the
church much more peace than before. The
power of Satan w»s hrok.n in part by the
scttmg „p of the Gospel kingdom in the
worl.l ; ,t was further reduced by tlic empire
b^'com.ugChrs-ian ; it was yet further broken
by the downfall o( the mystical Babylon ; but
still tl„s serpent had many heads, and when
one IS wounde,l, another has life remaining
in It. Here we have a further limitation and
diminution of his power ; where, observe, 1st.
To whom this work of binding Satan, is com-
mitted ? To an angd from leaven ! It is
very probible that this angel is no other than
the Lord Jesus Christ. The description of
hau will hardly agree wilh any otiier ; he is
one wlio has ,iower to himl (he strong man
armed, to cast him out, and to spryil his "mjods •
and, therefore, must be stronger than lie!
~n(l. riie means he makes usj of in this
w-ork: he has a chain, and a Aey ; a great
Cham to bind Satan, and the key of the prison

216

LECTURES ON THE

in which he was to be confined. Christ never
wants proper powers and instruments to break
the power of Satan, for he has the powers of
heaven, and the keys of hell. 3rd. The exe-
cution of this work. He laid hold on the dragon,
that old serpent, which is the devil and Sa-
tan. Neither the strength of the dragon, nor
the subtlety of the serpent, was sufficient to
rescue him out of the hands of Christ. He
\cast him into the bottomless pit, cast him down
with force and with a just vengeance, to his
own place and prison, from which he had
been permitted to break out, and disturb the
churches, and deceive the nations ; now he
is brought back to that prison, and there laid
in chains. He is shut up, and a seal set upon
him; Christ shuts and none can oj^en ; he
shuts by his power, seals by his authority, and
his lock and seal even the devils themselves
cannot break open. 4th. We have the term
cf this confineme^it of Satan,— a thousand
years ; after which, he was to be loosed again
for a little season. The church should have a
considerable time of peace and prosperity, but
all her trials were not yet over."

Now, we shall give our ideas of this vision

SrCOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 217

hi as few and plain words ns possible. Satan

has been walking about seeking whom he

might devour ; he has done much mischief m

the church of Christ, and ruined multitudes

of persons ; at the millennium, he will be put

under such restraint that he cannot deceive

the nations any more ; he will not be per-

mif.ted to ^'sift as wheat" the children of

God ;~nor to lead captive at his will unsound

or cold-hearted professors of religion ; and that

this restraint will be continued for a long time,

here called a thousand years.

The first resiirrcction, (ver. 5,) refers to the
suhjecU of Christ's kingdom in the millen-
nium. " I saw the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the
word of God, and which had not worshijiped
the beast, neither his image, neither had re-
ceived his mark upon their foreheads, or in
their hands, and they lived and reigned with
Christ a thousand years.

We do not understand that there shall be
a literal resurrection of bodies from the dead,
of persons who had suffered martyrdom, or
any others. We understand that, about the
beginning of the millennium, popery will be

218

LKCTLRKS oy THE

destroyed j but before its destruction, it will
bave mado great efforts to recover its former
power mid iufluenoo, and not a few may bave
bee., led to fall in witb it,_b„t oti.ers, by
Slid, a noble spirit of fidelity to Cbri«t, as
dwelt .„ tbe ninrtyrs of old, will .,ot yield to
the doinuiul of the man of Mn, they would
neither worshi,, the boost nor his imaue, nor
receive h.s mark upon their foreheads, or in
, thc.r bands; that is, they woukl pay him no
homage, show no respect to him at all, and
ne.thcr publicly in their fo.eheads, nor pri-
vately .„ their hands, bave any conn.ct^^on
^^■Uh th,s enemy of Christ ; these persons are
particularly .narked o..t as reigning with
t-lnist a thoMsaiKl years. We understand,
then, that when the millennium shall beein
those faithful seivants of Christ who have en-
dured a f^reat fight of affliction for him, and
have been trodden down by the oppressor,
shall then rise to dignity, honor, happiness
and mt uence ; in a word, they shall oconpy
the highest post of honor, sitting on the
thrones of our wcrld ; and that this rise from
oppression to power, fro.n iguominy to honor
from sorrow to happiness, will be so great,' that

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 219

it is called thefrst remrrection in the miUen-
«ium,an.l that i.or.sons, saints similar to these j
a succession of ,l,o,n .hall c..„ti„.,e thus ex-
alted or a or.g lime, called a thousnud yo:,rs.
l^ob:,l,ly ,h,s chnnge in ,he aiiairs ofthe
ClMirch w,ll he attended with a gr.at revival
of ehgion, u, which n.any shall he converted
to Cod ; for the word rc.urreclion, and others
of s m.lar iniport, are usrd in gcriplure in
connection with.oras settingforth that spiit-
uulck;.g,. Fcr instance: St. Pan, speaks
of the conversion of the Komans from Pa-
gamsm ,0 Christianity, as a resnrrectien from

Cod, ast/,ose that are alive from the deadV-
Rom. V,. 13. ^g„in, in his i.pi.t!e to the
Eph..sans,he,jno,.s the words :" Awake,
then l,at sleeprst, and arise from the dead
and Christ ..hall give ihee light." (v. 14 \
AiKl did >iot cur blessed Lord teach the same
grent tmth, when he said to M.rtha, "I am
the resnrrcetiun and ihe life ; he that I,elieveth
in me thongh he were <lead, yet shall he live
-and wh, soever liveth,and l.elieveth in me'
shall never die."_John xi. 2,5, 26. To be
converted to God, through faith in Christ is

1 1'
!i

i *

220

LECTIRKS ON THE

to be raised from the dead,— and then it may
be said to a multitude, << and you hath he
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and
sii]s ;" and that multitude may respond, « God,
who is rich in mercy, for his great love where-
with he loved us, even when we were dead
in sins, hath quickened us together with
Christ."— Eph. ii. 1,5.

Another feature in that millennium, will
be, the imiversal prcvalency of the GospeL—
« The earth shall be full of the knowledge of
the Lord as the waters cover the (bed of the)
sea." Jsa. xi. 9. This is a most expressive
figure, which shews that no part of this habi-
table globe, where man is, will be destitute
of the true knowledge of God ; or, as Presi-
dent Edwards says, " as there is no part of
the channel or cavity of the sea anywhere
but is covered with water, so there shall be
no part of the world of mankind, but what
shall be covered with the knowledge of God."
What a change from the present state of the
world! the darkness that covers large and
dens-ly peopled regions of the earth, and gross
darkness the peoples, will iiy before the light
of the truth, the dark places of the earth to

I • I

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 221

be irradiated by the beams of the sun of
righteousness, and have light in all their
dwellings. « And he will destroy in this
mountain the face of the covering, that covcr-
eth all ix-oples, and the web that is woven
over all the nations. "_Isa. xxv. 7. This
iiian.feslly contemplates an illnmination of
the world, which has been in progress of ful-
filrnent ever since the Gospel went forth out
cf Zion, and it will have its full accomphsh-
ment only when the darkness which every
wherj; broods over the world is dispersed, and
the day spring from on high, shall pour its
noontide splendor over this wretched world
The Gosnel will prevail not merely in form'
but m power ; not only as the creed of all but
as the rule of life to each. The glorions pro-
m.scs of the inspired word, lead us to expect
this great result. » Ask of me," says (lod
"and I shall give thee the heathen for thine
mhentance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession."— Ps. ii. 7. « u^
shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from
the river unto the ends of the earth. They
that dwell in the wilderness (probably the
wild, untamed savage tribes) shall bow before

'M:

222

LECTURES ON THE

hinvnndliis cnomiosslmll lick the dust; (thnt
is, simll bo coiiNtmiiipd to bow); the kings of
Tarshisli, and of the islos, sludl brinjr "J^re-
si>nls; the kings of 8hcbji, and Sobji" shall
offer g (Is. Yoa,all kin^-s shall fall down be-
fure him : all nations shall serve him."— Ps.
Ixxii. 8-10, Zrrh. ix. 10. " And it shnll coine
to pass in the last days, that the nionntaiii of
the L(rd^s house shall be established in the
top o( the mount.ii.is, nud shall be exalted
above the hills; a.:d all nations shall flow
nnto it. Ami many people shall rro and say,
Come ye, and let us iro up to the mounfnin of
the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob ;
and he will tench us of his ways, and we will
walk ui h.s paths: fr out of Zion shall g'o
fjrth the law, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusaleu).' -Is ,. ii. 2, 3. " And the Lord
SHALT. BR King over all the Earth : in that
day shall thcr(3 be oxe Lord, and his name
one."— Zcch. xiv. 9. What prospects for the
world nre Ihrse ! All the Polytheism of the
Pagan nations, with its crnel, licentious, and
degrading rites, and its myriads of lying
vanities, utterly abolished ; the Mahomme^
dau imposture, by which millions are enslaved,

;■

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

223

brought to an end ; the obstinntc unbelief of
the .lows, with th(^ cnrseof (uxl uijori them
Kluriuiisly removed; the soiil-dcstioyinir er-
rors, ])'n>i,|,efiiuns siiperstiticms, idohitroiis rites,
nnd ( riid desjK.tism of Popery, whieli have
sat like an incubus ujuin Christeudoni for
ages, tonelher with all dcudly heresies, and
professed infidelity, mrpt away. Ihen there
will he but ** One Loud, one Faith, one Bap-
tism,/>r the tvhole uorldl Not tl.at we nro
wurrant.Hl 1o h ok for a nnivers il ty of xital
rehgion,()r the sarin gvonxenimi of all mankind.
lUit I h(>. outward reception of the irutk, und pro-
fessed sidijcclion to Christ, nil/. ])e iiniversul.

The millennium will al^o be distinguished
by mneh spiritual j)oiver and glory:' Under
this general expression, is iueluded eopious
ellusions of the .Spirit, eonverting sinners on a
scale hitherto unparalleled since the day of
peiiteeost. There wjII be ecclesiastical unity
and peace in the churchesof Christ, when we
shall see eye to eye. Instead of looking upon
each other as rivals or antagonists, we shall
find each to he a Chris!i;in brother, whose au-
thority we shall not queslion, and whose prin-
ciples we shall not suspect.

224

LECTl'RES ON THE

Tlie purity of visible Churoli-coinmnnion
worship and discipline, will then ho restored
according to tiie primitive apostolic puttorn.
Dunns the reign of Antichrist, a corrupted
form ot Christianity was drawn over the na-
tions, and established in political constitutions
ot the kingdoms which were subject to that
monstrous power. By this moans the children
of God were either mixed in visible religious
, ^<»"n^';7" with the profane world, or per-
secuted for their conforn,ity. But when the
millennium shall arrive, the " sanctuary shall
be clcansed."_Da„. viii. 14. The . visible
communion worship, order, and discipline of
the house of God will then be restored to their
rr.m„n-c purity. S„ ,t is promised to Zion:
Henceforth there shall no more come into
thee the uncircuracised and the unclean."-
Isa. hi 1 <" The people shull be all righteous;
they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch
of my planting, the work of my hands, that
I may b. glorified."_rsa. Ix. 21. Again, the
^"i»t^s/,a/l/.keH have the dmnmwn of the world
and the wicked shall be in subjection. This
IS clear from the united voice of prophecy:
The kingdom and dominion, aiid the great-

i •>

lillif

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 225

ncss of the kingdom under the whole heaven,
shall be given to the people oftho saints of
the Most Iligh."-Dan. vii. 27. « The saints
of the Most High shall take the kingdom,
and possess the kingdom for ever."— Dan
vu. 18. « The meek shall inherit the earth ''
shall reign with Christ a thousand years.
The samts are at present made kings and
priests unto God, a kingly priesthood, (1. Pet.
"• 9.) ; but then they shall be more eminently
so, when, by the holiness of their lives
the purity of their faith and worship, and their
diligence in promoting pure and undefiled re-
•gion ; the earth shall be filled with the know-
edge of the Lord. With regard to the na-
tureot their reign, it will undoubtedly corres-
pond, ,„ all respects, with the spiritual and
heavenly nature of Christ's kingdom, to the
promotion of which all their power will be
subservient. In short, it is the prevalence and
triumph of the cause of Christ in this worH
over that of Satan and all his instromeuts.-
How delightful then the prospects which open
upon the eye of faith in the prophetic vision ,
Christianity prevails universally, and the
consequences are most blissful ; onr race as-

226

LECTURES ON THE

-sumes the appearance of one vast virtuous and
peaceful family. Our world becomes the seat
of one grand triumphant, adormg assembly.
At length, the scene mingles with the hea-
vens, and, rising in brightness, is blended with
the glories on high : « And I heard as it weie
the voice of a great multitude, and as the
voice of many waters, and as the voice of
many thunderings, saying: Alleluia; for the
I Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kino--
doms of this world are become the kingdoms
of our Lord and of his Christ." Further, as the
samts shall possess the kingdom, we naturally
suppose that civil rulers rfnd judges shall then
be all maintainors of peace and righteousness.
'Ihough Christ will put down all that rule,
power, and authority, which opposeth the
peace and prosperity of his kingdom, yet as
rulers are the ordinance of God, and his min-
isters fc-r good, as some form of government
seems absolutely necessary to the order and
happiness of srciety in this world ; it is
tliought that when the kingdoms of this world
are become our Lord's and his Christ's, that
promise will be fulfilled, where he says, " I
will also make thy officers peace, and thine

lii

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

227

exacters righteousness j" and, in consequence
of this, violence shall no more be heard in
thy land, wasting noi* destruction within thy
borders ; but thou shalt call thy walls salva-
tion, and thy gates praise." Peace and right-
eousness are the two great ends of govern-
ment ; Christ himself is king of righteous-
ness, and king of peace, and the civil rulers,
daring that happy period, will resemble him
in their character and administration.*

Under such circumstances, we may reason-
ably suppose that the inhabitants of every
place will rest secure from fear of robbery and
murder. War shall be entirely ended. Capi-
tal crime and punishment be heard of no
more. Governments placed on fair, just and
humane foundations. The torch of civil dis-
cord will be extingnished. Pagans, Turks,
Jews and Deists, will not be found. Tyran-
ny, oppression, persecution, bigotry, and cruel-
ty, shall cease. Business will be attended to
without contention, dishonesty, and covetous-
ness. Learning, which has ahvays flourished
in proportion as religion has spread, shall then
greatly increase, and be employed for the b!\«=!t

TTT — — — ' — ■ S .

•J^at. Theo. Die, p. 696.

OOQ

IICTURES ON THE

Of purposes. Above all, the Bible will be
«ore h,gh]y appreciated, its har.uouy per!

elt by „ ,ll,o„s of h.u^an beings. In fi.ct

' the ea.th shall bo lilled With tht^knowlcSge
of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

Umvcnal j>eace will distinguish the epoch
of the m.llenninm. Persoi.s naturally of the
jost savage, ferocious, and cruel dispLio

ml?., "'"' "'"' ''"™'^'««' «o it i« pro-
mised, 1,0 wolf also shall Iwell with the

lamb, and the leop.rd shall lie down with t e

?a iL!T''r"'''^"''''^^°""»^ ■"•--• "-

hem "^ Zlr" '' '"'* " "'""^ "''"-^ «'"'» '^^^
the V. "' T ''"'' *° ''•''" «'>"" feed :

hei young ones shall lie down together, and
tl.e hon shall eat straw like the ox! And e
suckmg cluld shall play on the hole of the
asp, and the weaned cliild shall put his ha.id
on the eookatrice' den. They s^ not n
«« destroy n, all my holy mountain : for the
earth sha 1 be full of the knowledge o" tL
i-ord, as the waters cover tlie sea."— Isa xj
6, 7, 8, 9. Whether we consider the persons
represented by these hurtful animals, to be
convAted or not, it is certain they wil then

SECOKD AUVK.JiT OF CHHIST. fiOg

be effectually restrained from doing Inun, -
.cott says, upon this i,assage: « the selfish,
he penurious, the rapacious, the contentio «
he amb,t,o„s the savage, the subtle, and the
mahc o«s, wdl loose their peculiar base dispo-
^.t o„s ,,„d , „,^ ,,^^„^j^^^^ sincere, peace-
able benevolent and affectionate ; they will

hve together .nh.rmony,he„rken 'to instruc.
tion. and be gu.ded by gentle persuasion and
entreaties. So that the change would he's
evident and surprising, as if the wolf, the
tiger, the l,on, the bear, and other fierce car-
niverous animals should learn to be gentle
andnarmless as the lamb, the kid, the ca f
or he cow ; that they should beconr'e so tract-'
able that a httle ehiii could lead them."

amot'M r" f "^ ^" "° '"''-' »°' ''''^'^^'^-^
among the nations ; for we are told, that in

the last days, when the mountain of the

Lord s house shall be established i„ the top of

the moimtams,a„J shall be exalted above the

Lord shall judge among the nations, and Lhall
ebuke many people ; and they shall beat
their swords into ploughshares! and thet
spears into pruning hooks : nation .k.„ „ .

!!>'l&

f^fffl ir

230

LKCTUllKS ON THE

lift lip sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war ony more."— isa. ii. 4. Though
war lias hitherto deluged the world with hu-
luan blood, nnd been a source of comi)licated
cialamities to mankind, yet, when Satan is
bound, his inflnence npon wicked men re-
str;uiied, and the saints bear rule, it must ne-
cessarily cease.

^ A]l these glorious results nre attributed by
the pre-milJennarians, to Christ^s personal
reign on earth ; but we are disposed to main-
tain, that they will arise from the Lord's spe-

cial spiritual presence among his people.

Christ hath said : « Lo ! I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world."— Matthew
xxviii. 20. Ho has promised to " dwell in
them, and walk in them."— 2 Cor. vi. 16, 17.
That is, he will be constantly and intimately
with them, communicating light, life and con-
solation to them by his Spirit. Great effects
may be expected from the gracious manifes-
tations of Christ to his Church, at the begin-
ning of the millennium ; one promise is, " and
tlie heathen sliall know that I the Lord do
sanctify Israel when my sanctuary shall be
in the midst of them for evermore." — Eze,

H i'

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 231

xxxvii. OS. Thus, by the special presence of
Christ, all oppression shall cease, every chain
will flill off; religion, in its vitality, elasticity
unci force, will become signally manifest, its
character developed, its limits extended, and
i becomes at length all in all. The ship of
the Church shall outride the storm, a storm
of perhaps two thousand years' duration ; the
g^tes of hell shall not prevail ; the cause of
(^od careering over the billows, shall reach
the fair havens, and the " kingdom and domin-
ion, and the greatness of the kingdom under
the whole heaven, snail be ^iven to the peo-
ple of the saints of the Most Ilicrh, whose
knigdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all
dominions shall serve and obey him."— Dan.
vii. 27. And all this, we consider is just the*
triumph of the noio-existing church ; the stone
cut out of the mountain without hands, smitiacr
the image. No new weapon does the Church
get with which to fight her enemies. No
change of dispensation does she undero-o. She
is already all that she needs to be, complete m
her livmg and ever-present H. ad, who has all
power in heaven and in earth.

Having thus briefly stated our views'of the

g4?

LECTUKLS ON 'IH^

nature of the milleiuiiimi, let iis proceed lo
consider the arguments that may be produced
for the opinion, that this milieniiium will take
place before the second Advent of Christ.— ^
.We would first observe, that the kingdom of
saints, foretold by Daniel, and the reign of a
thousand years, spoken of by John, are iden-
tical. Mr. Mede's arguments upon this point,
we think, cannot be overthrown. He says,
^' That the ki^i^iom in Daniel, and that of
one thousand years in the Ajtocalyiise, are one
and the same kingdom, appears thus :

First : « Because they begin cdy codem ter-
mino, namely, at the destruction of the fourth
beast : that in Daniel, when the beast (then
ruling in the wicked horn) was slain, and his
body destroyed and given to the burning
flame, (Daniel vii. 11, 22, 27.) That in the
Apocalypse, when the beast and the false pro-
phet (the wicked horn in Daniel) were taken,
and both cast alive into a lake of fire, burn-
ing with brimstone.— Apoc. xix. 20, 21, &c.

Secondly : " Because St. John begins the
Regnum of a thousand years from the same
session of judgment described in Daniel, as

± ,1 ill

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 233

appears by his parallel expression borrowed
from them : —

Daniel says, chap. vii. ver. 9 : Ihehcld till
the thrones were pitched down * " ' ' and the
judgmmt (i. e., judges) sat. Ver. 22: And
J^/gment toas given to the saints of tlie Most
High. And the saints possessed the kin^idom.
VIZ. with the Son of iVIan who came in the
clouds.

St. John says, chap. xx. verse 4 : I saw
thrones, and theij sat upon them. And jud<r~
ment was given unto them. And the saints

hved and reigned with Chri^ a thousand

years.*

But while we cordially agree as to the iden-
ftiyof the above, we feel obliged to dissent
from that able author in his application of
those portions of scripture to the day of iude-
nient, and that judgment being co-tempora-
neous with the millennium. But we shall
allow Mr. Mede to state his own views. The
following are his words : « Now, if this be
silfHcently proved, that the thousand years
hegtn with the day of judgment, it will appear
^^If^f^^oinonhe Apocalypse, that the udg-

Quoted bj Dr. Cummiag, Lect. on Dan.

»'■•

P. 455.

23'i

LECTURES ON THE

ment is not consummated till they be ended ;
for Gog and Magog's destruction, and the uni-
versal resurrection, is not till then ; therefore,
the whole thousand years is included in the
^^y of judgment P*^

This errur has arisen from the supposition,
that the judgment referred to by Daniel and
John in the above passages, is the general
judgment of ail men. But that it is not, we
Hhink is sufficiently clear, from the following
considerations : —

1st. That the Judge in Daniel, is the « An-
cient of days," the eternal Father; whereas,
in the general judgment, Christ will judge
the world, as is evident from many passages
of scripture. See a subsequent Lecture.

2nd. Again, this particular judgment of
Daniel and John, is followed, after a lapse of
time, by the general judgment of all. Apoc.
XX. 11-13.

3rd. Again, the judgment of Daniel and
John, as above referred to, is held to try An-
tichrist, and on conviction to destroy him,

and after his destruction, the millennium pro-
ceeds.

• Quoted by Dr. CummiDg, Lee. on Dan., p. 456.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 235

Ml. The millennium fs no where repre-
sented in Scripture, as the time of the judg-
ment, but as one of unparalleled happiness.

From the above and other reasons, we re-
ject the opinion, that the millennium and the
day of judgment begin at the same time, or
run parallel to the same termination.

That the second Advent of Christ will be
^«f-m.llennial, we think is evident, from those
Scr.ptin-es which speak of it as containing
kmgdoms, and languages, and people," and
here we are happy to receive the support of
Pr. Gumming, althou Ii we cainiot come to
the same conclusion to which he has arrived,
VIZ., that these nations and languages will
exist m the millennium subsequently to the
advent of Christ. Hi. words are : « This
shews us, that after the Ancient of days" has
come-after the thrones have been set • • •
all nations, people, and languages, existing in
nil their diversity, and with all tlieir distinc-
t.ons, but individually and morally saints,
hough circurastanfitdly nations, shall consti-
tute that empire of peace and joy, over which
ho shall reign in glory and beauty. If this

236

LECTURES ON THR

be SO, nations will exist in the millennial
reign."*

The existence of « kingdoms and lan-
guages" during the millennium, is easy to be
understood, if that millennium exist before
the second Advent ; but it is extremely diffi-
cult to see how there can be « kingdoms and
languages" after the second Advent, when,
as the Doctor supposes, Christ will reign per-
sonally with the risen and transformed saints ;
and when the kingdoms of this world shall
have become the kingdom (in the singular) of
our God and of his Christ.

Again, the second Advent of Christ is repre-
sented as being immediately followed by the
resurrection of the dead, and the judgment
day, at the close of which, the destinies of all
will be unalterably fixed, so that there could
be no possibility of the battle of Armageddon
taking place after the millennium, as all ad-
mit it will. But if, as we think, the order
will be, first the millennium, then the apos-
tacy of the « little season," next, the battle
of Armageddon, led on by Gog and Magog,—
at the commencement of which, the second
• Lect. on Daniel, p. 253. ~~ '

SECOND ADVBNT OF CHRIST. 237

Advent will take place. This theory, which
we think is the only true one, easily accounts
for the appearance of so formidable an army
as Gog and Magog, sliall bring to make war
against the saints.

Having thus hastily and briefly glanced at
some aspects, which the millennium will bear,
let us now consider its duration. In doing so'
ive shall supply a few quotations from^the
best authorities.

The first of these is our text : « Blessed and
holy IS he that had part in the first resurrec-
tion : on such the second death hath no power,
but they shall be priests of God and of Christ'
and shall reign with him a thousand years."'
A writer, in the London Encyclopedia, says:
" The time when the millennium will com-
mence cannot be fully ascertained ; but the
common idea is, that it will be in the seven
thousanth year of the world. It will, most
probably, come on by degrees, and be, in a
manner, introduced years before that time.—
The number of missionaries sent into diffe-
rent parts ef the wcrld, the translation of the
Scriptures into so many languages of the
earth,— -the thousands of ignorant children,

1 '

238

LECTURES ON THE

who have heen taught to read the Bible ; and
the numerous societies, which are in opera-
tion for the purpose of spreading Gospel lio-ht
throughout the earth, are all so many agen-
cies in the hand of God for bringing about
that great era."

Bishop Newton says : " Out of seven years,
every seventh is the year of remission, so out
^ of the seven thousand years of the world,
the seventh millenary shall be the mille-
nary of remission, that God alone may be
exalted in that day." He then quotes a
tradition, which is as follows : " The Avorld
enduras 6000 years-2000 before the law,
2000 under the law, and 2000 under the
Messiah." The Bishop then adds, "Of the
Christian writers, St, Barnabas, in the first
century, thus comments upon those words of
Moses : ^ And God made, in six days, the
work of his hands, and he finished them on
the seventh day, and he rested in it and
sanctified it.' Consider, children, what that
signihes, ^ he finished them in six days.'
I his It signifies, that the Lord God will finish
all things in six tliousand years. For a day
with him, is a thousand years ; as he himself

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

239

testifieth, saying : ' Behold, this day shall be
a thousand years. Therefore, children, in six
days,' that is, < in six thousand years, shall all
things be consummated. And he rested the
seventh day.' This signifies, that when his
Son shall come, and shall abolish the season
of the wicked one, and shall jud, the un-
godly, then he shall rest gloriously in that
seventh day."

Br. Clarke says upon the words « reigned
with Christ a thousand years: " I am satis-
fied that this period should not be taken Hter-
ally, it may signify that there shall be a
long and undisturbed state of Christianity ;
and so universally shall the gospel spirit pre-
vail, that it will appear as if Christ reigned
upon earth." The Dr. also supposes the thou-
sand years mentioned in our text ^xq prophetic
years, iu which each day stands for a year,
so that the thousand years, by that calcula-
tion, would be 360,000 years. This diversity
of opmion throws but little light, upon the
subject, and leaves the mind as much bewil-
dered as before. We think it highly probable
that the introduction of the millennium will
be grachiol; that one of the most striking

LECTURES ON THB

features will be the final overthrow of some
of Its enemies, and then another and another
of those systems which have long stood in
the way of Christ's kingdom spreading in our
earth ; and about the same time that these
systems of error are taken away, the Jews
wil be restored to the clu.rch of Christ and
to their own land. When these projects are
realized, then the millennium will be lairlv
set m i but how long it shall continue we are
not prepared to say: at »11 events, wo are
inchned to think that >he second Advmt of
Christ will ,mt take place tiU after the willen-
mum IS past, ami the Httl. ason of dcdmsum
IS over.

By what means is the milh-nnium to be
brought about ? Brown has a paragr„ph which
IS as well adapted to us and our cnvumstunces
as anything that we can give. He .avs (p.
rfl^): " Ihe millennial conversion of the
world to Christ is not xpected to take place
by the agencies now .n operation, but alto-
gether ^« a new way» This, he states, as the
view of the pre-millennialis-s ; he then adds
that upon which most dependence seems
to be placed, is ttte personal manifestation of

SECOND ADVExNT OF CHRIST. 241

Christ. On the agencies now in operation
hey ^ite With great looseness, andTsS

^t a 1' "T" "'^'"'^ '""'^ """"''^'^ throw
out at alleged attempts to convert the world

by means of E.ble and Missionary Societies

Wo ^''-f f ««-'-d i-inuations'agaS the'
Wod and the blessed Spirit themselves, as
inadequate to accomplish the precL.ted evan-
gelization of the world."

Now, vve are satisfied that the prea^a^g of
the gospel and the spread of scripture trui
will contmne to be the instrumentality wS

Whether ^x^^'^^:::^ ^^

Church wdl be those instruments, or whether

iluTA r^ "i "P '"'^ '^"^P'^^y °«>«f« that
w 1 b better adapted for this work, and more

self-denymg and faithful in discharging the
dimes required for it. But this we do say, the
Bible gives us no reason to expect any o her
agencies to be emT)loved t»,o„ ti ■ ^ '"^"^
bv rhri=f T '""P'oyed, than those instituted

in ir r" '^''''\""*'' "'" '" heaven and
n^tfn ; ^^' ^^'^^f'^'-e. and teach all

nations," or make disciples of all nations, as

n"-f.

LECTURES ON THE

the word properly ineMiis, " ba])tizing tlicin in
the name of the Father, and of the Son and
of the Holy Ghost : Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you :
and, lo ! I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world ; Amen." Thus, you see,
the disciples were to evangelize the world,
defare Christ's second coming ; and he promi-
ses to be with them, to prosper their work in
* discipling all nations ; so that the teaching of
his tvw'd, by which they will be enlightened,
and baptism, by which they will be received
into his church, are the only means to be made
use of to " the c?icl of the ivorld?'

In conclusion, then, we observe, that as the
oXxmoX^'^ present resources are sufficient, it be-
comes us all " to comb up to the help of the
Lord, to the help of the Lord against the
mighty ;" and that gospel which has converted
us, can convert others \ it can convert sinners
upon a much larger scale than it has done in
modern times. The word, in the hands of a
faithful church, and the spirit to apply the
efforts of that church, are quite enough to
accomplish all the Bible holds out to us in the
prospect.

SECOND ADVKNT OP CHRIST.

243

Chnst has suffered tlie ohurcJi to lie ,or
»ges m Ignoble ease, in pitift,, leanness, in a

hmts, poisoned its streams, and tore it to
r.eces,-while the M-orld, all nnpitied, lay
powerless in the enemy's hand, and its dark
gaces were full of the habitations of cruelty.
But .w,en the time to favor Zion comes, It
^'ill then be seen that it only needed he
energies of this Resent ais/ensat^onJll
brought into full play, to accomplish all that

13 promised : and thpn ^iriii ;+

I aiiu men wjll it appear what a

nnne of wealth, and what a magazine of
power, for the spiritual recovery of a diseased
world, were t?t possession of the Church's Head
and ^.ere all along the cloury of Ms people'.
And the mstnimentalities for spreading the
gospel may be indefinitely multiplied ; atl the
missionary principle and energy of the church
may be quickened from the base torpor of
past ages ; majestic steps in providence start-
ing men from their stupid slumbers, awin-.
heir spirits, and constraining their attention
o long despised truths ; these, and other such
tlnngs, m connexion with direct and copious
effusions of the Spirit, the heart delights t„

244

LECTURES.

think of, as destined to effect that universal
submission to the sceptre of Christ, which is
tu characterize the latter cTay.*

I et us ponder thc^ iin]X)rtrint question, what
part am I acting in this great drama ? Am I
>tanc]ing all the day i(lle,d<ing nothing in the
vi:.. yard oi ihe Lord, either to support its
iresrnti st tu?ions,or to extend its operations
to tlif' re 1 ions yet hey* nd? Remember, oh!
Ve I i em ' er ' he ; ;i vionr's words, <' i hat servant
which knew his Lord^s will, and did it not,
.shaii be b aten Avith many stripes ;" the mas-
ter wdl SMy, '' take ye the unprofitable servant
and cast him into outer darkness, where there
is w'eejung and gnfishingof teeth."

* Brown, p. 323.

LECTURE VllL

" THE LITTLE SEASON. '>
Rev. XX. T-io.

>Ml be loo^emd out of Ins prison, and shall go out to
dece^-ethe nations uMch ore in the four quarters of the
earth, Go, and Magog, to gather them together to bitle:
"■^number of ^ho,^ is as the sand of the sea. M they

camp of the sazn.s about, and the beloved city : an I fire

^nd the denl UM deceived them, was cast into the lal,e of

;:;;.r' »"««*»'-'-»« o-y>..^d nm^ L,nd

In our last disconr.^e, we were led to d.sorihe
somewhat m detail, the true rn.tnr- .,| il,e
milienmum.vi:,, that ,t is ihe matum,, of the
Christian Churdi, m which hIi ,.eo|,'e sh U
pvoie^s the rel,i.ioH of our bh ssed Rcde.,„er
^\e dehght to Jiuger MhJ'e we v.eu that
s|.ir:iual L u.lscapo, in «h d, there w.s noth-
ing to offend the most r«fl„Bd '-''■ ,

246

LECTURES ON THE

produce satiety in those who « hunger and
thirst after righteousness ;" a view in which
" every prospect pleases," and even man is
not '^viUr But the history of, man shows
his falls, as well as his dignity ; his career
has been marked with some of the deepest
degradations ; his picture presents some of the
darkest shades,which are but partially relieved
^ by streaks of light emanating from the " sun
of righteousness." We might, however, have
supposed that when the knowledge of the
Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cov^er
the bed of the sea, that there would be no
more material to w(/rk up into weapons of
warfare against the Lord and against his
anointed. " But the sun f that bright day is
destined to set," a cloud, a dark cloud is seen

to arise ; it comes from the bottomless pit,

" Satan h loosed out of his jyrison'^^ and although
at first, his appearance does not alarm the
church, in the end he makes a deadly assault
upon the saints of (^od j but he falls, he falls
to rise no more. The period of his career is
called " a little season*'^

We propose to consider the coynmencement^
continuance and close, of that little season.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 217

First, then, its commencement. " And when
the thousand years are expired, Satan shall
be loosed out of his prison."

These words show ns that when the chuch^s

How re,^„kahle is this, and yet how often
ha3 It happened, in the history of onr mce
that the greatest manifestations of the divine'
goodness have been speedily followed by the
basest eondnct on the part of man. When
God created our earth, made it a paradise a
prov^nce of heaven, and made manl his oln
image, and gave him authority and rule, xvhich
was scarcely limited at all in its extent ye
how soon .this vicegerent of God throx^ oii
his allegiance,and ambitiously seeks tobecome
ns God himself; but he tails, and in TZn
.me he is doomed to degradation, sorrow a/d

death. What a contrast is here, and how so«
his ruin was brought about, in hi., body i^

his soul, and in his habitation, our earth
Again, when the Divine Being manifested

h.s mercy in sending his Son to redeem n«

torn all iniquity, this most stuj.endous of 2

God s acts, Avas immediatelv foil j ,. ..

J .Vm.,vn.-Ci uy ihe

248

LECTURES ON THE

most barbarous attempt to take the young
chilcfs lifv.' ; and, day after day, fur thirty suc-
cessive years, they planned and plotted against
the .-'-on of God. till llually they shed the blood
of the Just One, and comaiitted a murder to
which there never was, and never can be, a
parallel. Thus, after the brightest display of
divine mercy, there was the greatest act of
I human barbarity. There is yet one more
scene to be un folded, when God shull have so
far blessed this wilderness of our world, that
it sliall become "like Eden, our desert, like
the garden of the Lord," and "joy and glad-
ness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and
the voice of melody." — Isa. li. 3. Then Sa-
tan shall be again let loose, and man, multi-
tudes of men, shall enlist in his service, and
make war against the saints. Thus, at the
close of. the millennium, when the thousand
years of unbounded good are expired, then
the number of rebels against God shall be " as
the sand of the sea" for multitude ; but the
time is short, it is only for a " little season."
This little season shall be further remark-
able for the releasa of Satan, When the
thousand years are expired, Satan shall be
loosed out of his prison — ver. 7.

young
ty suc-
L gainst
? blood
(ler to
1 be, a
day of
act of
more
lave so
1, that
rt, like
i gldd-
iig and
en Sa-
multi-
e, and
at the
ousand
d, then
be "as
)iit the
sason."
L' mark-
en the
hall be

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 249

nouoncnr^' ^'''^ " li-ited ; he could

could L /^"^^^^^ ^^i^^^ permission,-nor
could he enter the herd of swine till Christ
suffered him. During the millennium he
bo-d, so that he cannot injure the ^n^^
God, nor even lead the wicked capt.ve at his
wi 1. But when the " httle season" begins

frorh- T"' 'T ""'' ^'^"^' ^"^ — -"'

^^r^'Z^uZl '''^'''' '''-''

lennial church f^e r7 "^"" ''^' "^^"
<* ThPv / '^ followmg manner :

Jen d^ "T'' '''-''' '''^' ^- ^f I--^"
nlwb if '"' ^^^^^^^"^-^^^ ; and this w 11
now be sadly seen. Settling upon her lees
her ex ernal prosperity proving a'snare o J

^spintuality inconsistencies mcreasingiy ap.
Far and her .nlluenee fo^
world at large grows less and less. The
unconverted portion of the world, lone, con-
strained by the rel.g.ous influences C'
^here surrounding them to fall in with the

^^n^'^ 'l"^"^' catching apparently its holy
^mpu.ses, but never coming savingly under Z

250

LECTURES ON THE

powor. This portion of mankind which, we
have reason to fear, will not be small, will
never be freed from their irksome restraints,
no longer obliged to breathe an atmosphere
uncongenial to their nature, and ' feign sub-
mission.' Now, < the lust of the flesh, the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,' never
slain—will re-assert their claims with an
urgency proportioned to the restraints, till
now placed upon them, by victorious spiritu-
ality, and with a success proportioned to the
diminished power and inclination to resist
them. Now Satan is at once morally and
judicially free, and the extent to which he
may carry his conquests over individual men
cannot, at present, be ascertained." You
perceive, by the above extract, that Satan's
being let loose is understood to be his per-
mission again to sift the church, in which, by
that time, there will be a large proportion of
chaff with the wheat ; and the sifting process
will so far succeed, that much of it will be ob-
tained by him, until he and it are burned up
with unquenchable fire.

Secondly, the continuance of this « little
season." It is remarkable —

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 251

First, for Satan's effwu after his release ■
Satan shall be loosed m,t of Ms prison, and
aiall go out to deceive the nations, ^Meh are
tn the fmir quarters of the earth, Gog and
Magog to gather them together to battle. ^>
You observe i„ verse 3, that Satan was " ,,/,,,,

tlrT n "''' ''''"'''' ''"^ ''«''-'' ^ ^-.re
till the tlmcsand years should be fulfilled.-

as we 1 as from our text, tluU Satan will de-
ceive the nations after the millennium, i„ a

way snmlar to what he f,rmerly deceived

them VIZ., by wganizing a new apostesy in

the ehurch, and, by his dnpes, make a new

attempt agauist the church of Christ. Whe-

ther that new apostacy shall resemble the old

one. Popery, or whether it will be dissimilar

we have no means of ascertaining ; but it\

w 1 be an apostacy i,r which the elements of

fallen hunaanity xvill be brought into opera-

ion, and the world will hate the church, and

his passion of hatred being fa„„ed b^ the

temptations of Satan, and not restrained by

ether the grace of God or the law of the

land, W.1, .,e into a mighty and ex.ens v!

flame of persecution, in which Satan and hil

252

LECTURES ON THB

It' '

emissaries will try to destroy the church of
Christ.

Secondly, Satan's sz^ccess in this work of
deceiving the nations which are in the four
quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog: « the
number of whom is as the sand of the sea."

We are not of opinion that the nations,
whom Satan will deceive, are persons dwell-
ing in reimte parts of the earth ; the ex-
pression seems rather to imply that he will
try to deceive the tvhole earth, viewed as con-
sisting of four quarters, particularly named
**' Go<g and Magog.^^

The name Magog is first met with in Gen-
esis X. 2, where we find he was one of the
sons ot Japheth, who peopled the country
called Syria, from which his descendants
spread into many other parts. Of Gog and
Magog, together, we read, in the book of
Ezekiel, 38. 39 chapters ; but as these chap-
ters are too lengthy to be transcribed, we
shall here select a view of their contents
from Dr. Clarke's commentary : " The sub-
lime prophecy, contained in this and the fol-
lowing chapter, relates to Israel's victory even
Gog, and it is very obscure. It begins with

SECOND ADVENT OF

CHIIIST.

253

of Gog, wi.lx tl,e into t,o; ' """''"='

the Je„.s, after havirie^ T °"^^^''.^l™'"g

-ttled in their lanirXtnTt" /^ "'
turn fmm fu T> 1 . '^^^^"ent to their re-

"-I coajnacture, .tn'^ lei " 'Vf" '="'

threatenecl 1' "i t ^"'^''^''" ""'^'^"^
-es of His pCe *'".;: ^°^™'t'l-dversa-

borrov^^ed from ?' '"■°'*''' '" t''™^

with awfnl u '" P^'^''"«^' 'l«''eril)es,

wiiii awiul emphasis, the fnw nf r„i, ,

comiijo- „,, t„ h- f V^ Jehovah as

o lip to his face ; and the effert^ nf ;t

so dreadful, as to mak^ nil ii '*

inanimate . ''^® animate and

nanimate creation tremble, and even to con

v.'lse,vvith terror, the whole frime !r .

The nrnnli >t *i "^ nature.

divL S " ^"'^ °" '° -^^'O'uice the

-Ind j'^^^^^^^^^g--' Gog and his army,

burial, m terms so very lofty and comprehen-
sive as must certainly denote .ome very ex
Zi'?/!, -l-^-i!- °^ P-idencell Z

254.

LECTURES ON THE

'' This is allowed," says the Doctor, " to be
the most difficult prophecy in the Old Tejsta-
mont. It is difiicult to us, because we know
not the king nox peryple intended by it. There
are but two opinions on this snbject, that ap-
pear to be at all probable: — 1. That which
makes Gog Cambyses, king of Persia ; and
2nd. That which makes him Antiochus Epi-
PHANES, king of Syria. And, between these
two, writers are much divided." The Doc-
tor then supplies the names of several emi-
nent men, who considered one cr other of
these kings to be referred to in the prophecy of
Ezekiel. Archbishop Newcome and Bishop
Newton, suppose all the above prophecy re-
mains yet to be fulfilled. — Dr. Clarke on Ezek.
xxxviii. 22.* St. JbA^'s description of Gog
and Magog seems to have taken n any of its
features from Ezekiel's prophecy \ and hence
it may be apposed the two prophets wrote of
the same thing, Bishop Newton however
thinks it probable that they relate to different
events. The one he expects to take effect
before the millennium, the other after it He
says further, " Gog and Magog, in P]zekiel, are
♦ Dis. on. Prop., p. 669.

SKCO.VD Aj,v£NT or cimST.

"53

the; ca^e tm 7'^'' '"'' '" '-'• •^°"»'
of the eanh." c : {^I T''^'' "'^ -'•'--
bend their forrp, ° '*^°- '" ^'^^^^<'h

in t1, "^"""^^ the Jews n setUe.l

>n tlieir own land," but in St t u

-e the same wilV ,f 41", «" '"'"'
inust suppo^P tli^ nfu -^^ekiel, then we

throug-hS; ^m« Lr :r;" '^ r"^''"

be beliPvnrl ' ''^^^i^i«ni, which can hardly

With cJC:;:,-:;- ';r'^^ '^ ^-^^^-^^"^^

concluded, ^afS^UM^JoittS'^^
Sodom, and Effvnt nnri ri T. i "' ^ ""'^

«^e last enemies of the Christian church .re

Tea/rrtSir—^^^-^MaS:!

tend to say, with the len!?'"^" "^""°* I"^"

We convTrn I "''''' of certainty..

we copy from the notes to Bishop Burnetf,

Theory of the Earth » ♦),» (:„ii ■ ™cit s

" It hns. J, ' fo'lownig extract :

Dis. on Prop, p.^ei^ ■

T*^m

256

l^KCTUllES ON THE

w t

Magog, should come, after the church of
Christ and true religion had prevailed in the
world a thousand years. Some have supposed
that a number of people, and perhaps whole
nations, should live in some corner of the earth
during the time of the millennium, without
partaking of any of the blessings of it ; but
will continue in a state of heathenism and
wickedness all that time, till at length they
will multiply so much as to be able to rise in
opposition to the church, and destroy it, were
they not prevented by the miraculous inter-
position of heaven. And many have sup-
posoil that this fact is inconsistent with all the
inhabitants of the world being real Chris-
tians, and eminently holy in the time of the
millennium. But this supposed difiiculty may
be easily solved, and the general and great
apostacy accounted for, consistent with the
supposition that in the millennium all mankind
will be real Christians. Near the end of the
thousand years, the Divine influences which
produced and continued the universal and
eminent holiness in the millennium, may be
in such a measure withheld, as that real
Christians will, in their exercises and conduct,

«COND ADVENT or CHRIST. 257

sink much below whit h^A <■ .

and indulge a carTlel 1 ^^'" ^^"°" ''<^*°^«.

more „egl.ge„t of^lSd^l "'".™'""^^«'»
^es].ect to their chil ! ll '^''P^^'ally with

tant point I„ ?' '""^ '" this impor-

chddrenwllnotbeT'"'"" °' *-' *eir
ed, but grow ;l': 22':f -I -J convert-
to God and to the tnuh ?"■' '''' ''"^'"^^^
-ili be then J5!',:*.f-'- 'he world
«0"n become full of w!' T'"' '" ""'^ ^^y.
church w:,l be Ly Zlt\^T' '""' *«
-•" ^row up, under the ;ter';^^ ,*- -ho
tan, in the face of all thui L'"' ^""^ ^^■
holiness, which had tuken '^ ' '"'"^ ^"^
""llennium.and in ,.,t r ^ ""^ ""'^''^h the

«%-rive;oag"e;TCr*°'*'"'^'-'"-
ha.dne.a„dobsti:a:;^:n-V^^-of

far more g„„ty and perver e' t """"' ^
men than ever existed w ^^"''''at'on of
g-ater enen.ies o S , 'it^ '*"' -''' ''^
and the Church of Chr t Z^ "^''^''^°«snes3,
-ill be united and .uCJZu """^'^'^''^^'ly.
from the earth ^^ ''"^^' all these

'^he world wm ,ave more wicked person.

258

LECTURES ON THE

in it than ever before ; and all these much
more sinful, and engaged in all kinds and
ways of opposition to Christ and his cause
an4 people. The Church will be on the brink
of ruin, just ready to sink and be swallowed
up, and the appearance and coming of Christ
will be less believed, expected or thought of,
than at any other time. Then Christ will be
revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking
vengeance on them who know not God, and
obey not the Gospel."

The author of the " Coming Struggle" says,
" interpretors have confounded the Gogue and
Magogue of Ezekiel ^' ith the Gogue and Ma-
gogue of Apocalypse • but, if the reader care-
fully examine the two testimonies, he will
find that they have reference to different times,
eaxeeding re'inote from each other. The Apoc-
alyptic Gogue and Magogue, are the nations
and their leaders, who rebel against the gov-
ernment of Christ and the saints ; who, being
seduced from their allegiance, revolt and in-
vade Canaan, and lay seige to Jerusalem, but
are destroyed by fire from heaven." The
Gogue and Magogue of Ezekiel, the same
writer supposes, will be the Emperor of the

SECOND ADVFNT nv „.

■si-vtHT OF CHRIST. 259

Russians, whom, he e-ynnpfc vi, •

son of Nicholas or hk ' ' ' '" *" P^^"

Emjeror of S"" f p' ""'' "^^' "'« -^^
q«e Turkey and rf ^'""'"'y ^"'1 '^-n-

have -H„rned\hittr^rttt .',-, ",f""

3honhiscareer,bydesCj,5:2r
armies m Judea. ^^

Wnsays: "The names, ' Goer and M„

peacefully settled m tl JL^S ''"-«''
power or powers, called by thesen!^

oniy at ti4a::aTosr:L^;;:f- -
With ..el :r;;:rciSE^^^^^^^ ^^^'

posite conclusion. Thnt 7) ' "^^ "P"

cl-acter, ^^^^^e^LTrfT !"
5a>«e." (p. 445.) '" ^'*°'' ^''«

'M^hSr "!^^'''" '^ explicitly stuted-
galher them together to battle." The temp-

|. 'I i

260

LECTURES ON THE

tations from which he was restrained being
strictly of this nature, he is now loosed just to
organize a confederacy against the Church
again. By what steps he will proceed, and
on what precise questions the quarrel will
ostensibly be raised— whether he will setup a
new rdigion, or whether, as seems more pro-
bable, he will breathe into them an aiiti-rcli'
gious spirit, that cannot rest so long as God
has any open friends, and Christ any wit-
nesses, and the Church exists as a visible
body— we cannot tell. One thing only is
certain— he will succeed in raising a mighty
party, " the number of whom is as the sand
of the sea." One may wonder at such suc-
cess, but the past history of the struggles of
the serpent's seed against Christ and his peo-
ple, teaches us to wonder at nothing which
he may have liberty to do. The bright latter
day has set ; the generations that adorned it
have died, and other generations have arisen
that " know not Joseph." In process of time
they may come to deny that matters were
ever much better than they are, and laugh at
every assertion of the sort. Impatience of
of the yoke of religion will, in ^Jl probability,

' being
just to
Church
?d, and
el will
let up a
re pro-
ti'Tcli-
is God
y wit-
visible
)nly is
nighty
3 sand
h suc-
kles of
is peo-
which
latter
ned it
arisen
f time
were
igh at
ice of
bility,

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 261

ing motive of this party. A desire to shake
off this yoke is the true cause of that opS^

fkeirSe th ^Tr^^^' ^-^ -i". it is most
^i^ely, be the chief motive to influence the
followers of Gog in his time. ^

M^t T''^ '"^ ""'' '^^ ^^^^^th of the
earth, de otes thezr st.eeping all before them

heir ^compassing the camp of the sa ntland
he beloved city/ seems t'o be an alT^ to

herfb W^^^^ ^y Sennl!

cnerib, king of Assyria. The daring and

blasphemous assumptions of thati? T
n^onarch and his mfn of wa^ tS^^
-g confidence of success, and their profound

" As it was in the days of Noe so sha/l it h.
aim m the days of tU Son of man Thf \ ,

given m marriage, until the dav thJ^
entered into the ark, and the floo7cli1J:|

262

JLECTURES ON THE

destroyed them all. Likewise, also, as it was
in the days of Lot ; they did eat, they drank
they bought, they sold, they planted, they
bmlded But the same day that Lot went
out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone
/rem heaven, and destroyed them all. Even
thus shall it be in the day when the Son of
Man IS revealed." Also our text speaking of
Gog, and his host says, « they went up on the
« breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp
of the samts about, and the beloved city • and
fire came down from God out of heaven, and
devoured them. And the devil that deceived
them was cast into the lake of fire and brim-
stone, where the beast and the false prophet
are, and shall be tormented day and night for
ever and ever."

' We have preferred giving the above ex-
tracts from writers of eminence, rather than to
supply onr own views, in our own words •
that there will be a " li, ,ie season" of apostacy'
after the millennium, appears certain from'
those passages of Scripture which describe the
state of the world at the time of the second
Advent ; but by what means it may be brought
about we are not prepared to say.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 263

The length of time this « little season"

fv,„7 ^•', '-"^S'^S according to the extent

taire't"^ ^"' °^^" opp'osition to ?od

tent of .^- '^^'''"'- ^'^'^ *1^« g^e^t ex-

tent of religious influence in the wnvl,l

mediately before it, we are led to u^pose Z

little season" may last for one, two or Xe

centixraes ; and, long as that tir^e is 'in it If

tisyet but a little season, compared wh the

thousand years of prosperity Which shaip^!

" tIa?re"wTr' "^ ^'«»^»'°«d,'' says Paber,
from pittvTo ""'' ""' P'""^<= ^* °«e«
and general experience may teach us that a

oTit'wm T ""' ^'^^^^' ^^^ *^ ^•»^'^-

a tTent • r^""' '° thoroughly depraved
as to enter mto a regular combination for

oi ijod s taithful people."*

" Bengel takes it to be a period exceedino-
a century; while Faber reckons Ht 3 |
years taking the words 'Blessed is he that
^^^^^!Hl.^!!i^^^!if!L!lH^ days,' (olt

* Brown, p. 446. ~ — -

m ■''

r M

264

lECTUnss OK THE

xu. 12 ) to eoiet to the thousand years of
the^miilenaium, and the little season to suc-
ceed It Some even extend it further."*
iJut as the scriptures do not inform us expli-
citly, we cannot ay how long the little
season will continue.

Thirdly, the close of this « little season."

Oiw tex says, « and fire came down from God

, out of heaven and devoured them." The

^ZV^'\°' *''" '* """''' '"^^^^ that Sa-
tan and h.s hosts Will have congregated toge-

Ibo^'t r^ nTr'i*'^' ''""'P °f the saint.
aDout, and the beloved city."

This then will be the last great assault upon
the church of Christ. ^

Satan, having deceived the nations, and
brought under his influence multitudes of men
with Gog, as commander, at their head, leads
a mighty army, perhaps not less than a mil-
ion figntmg men, towards some particular
ocalUy, probably Jerusalem, re-buUt by S'
tored Jewish Christians, to which « beloved
city" the faithful may have concentraS
themselves for mutual protection; and as

^!ifif!lZ!!?!!_lil;iI^hear of the near
* Brown, p. 444.

SECOND ADVENT OP r»n,

"i^l OF CHRIST. 2(J5

approach of Goo- withh- .
tian soldiers aJd ^tv '""'^'' "'°«« ^h^s-
camp around atou'jfr'.""^'^ '"^ *''-'
plate a battle ofTfe^eTT'""^ °''"*^'"-
iuvading partv nT , " ^^^" P^'*' The

racted. the invader^ esolve^f " "° """-
>ng the invaded nJlu! "PO" surround-
off, so thit „oro„'*r''^°"tth«'nentirely

-y remain i« thTLnd'The?'^. ''"''^"

as the beloved city!!lwhen ^T' "" T"
thus taken i.n i • ■ the enemy has

heart Trei "! ,?''"""' ^"'^ ^^^^^ '» his

conquest/irSft? rf^^"" °^ ^P^^''^
his peoD e «L w ' '""^ Hezekiah and

ficier^o'rVtll '" r ^"^"^y -^-
yes, they Zyt'Z ' ^"* ^'^^^ ^"V'
-ying. « this da? -s ^ITof T' M^* ^ '^"'
rebuke, and of blas;LmyT!Ltt f ' '"' "'

0!Lord,andhear^p:L'hiretro"L";'
and see, and hear all he words i In J '
rib, which iinfi, . / * »ennache-

God."- sa xtvH n^r* *^ ^-"S
^ 1 • .1 -^Axvii. d, 17. So will th*» fii+k

M,m th,s final struggle, feel their cte £t'

terly hopeless, unless God signallv iZZl'

266

LECTURES ON THE

wliUe, in tl.e camp of the saints, fear and

elect thJt „ J . '^ """^"Se his own

he ill, n^^ ^^^""^ "'^^^ ""*« Wm, though

rSdl r^'^^'" "^^' *»»« ^«^"i°g

a^i L^' V "''r '^' ""^y P°'«t °f inflict-

'from rVr r^I*^' ^°""'*' " «^« <'<'««« down
from God out of heaven, and devours them •»

Whether it shall be a rain of fire and tTm-
^ will come hke forked and chain lightning,

from Goir' '"*' ^''^ " '^^"^*' *hi« fire
from God traverses their ranks, and every in-

tWw-r,^''"' °" *^^ S'°"»<^- Whether
there will be any zntervcd between this signal

destruction of the church's last enemy, and

^e second Advent of Christ, we are not pre-

Ztr '"'' ' ,r. ^'""^ " P'°'^=*'^'« *at this
des tract on wxU be the immediate precursor
of the ast trump, for the final judgment
and punishment of the devil is record^l
the very next verse, and this is just before
the account of the last judgment.
We shall here quote a paragraph from

SECOND .DVKNT OF CHRIST. 267

wiy their own lusts -.t th^ „ ^/ ^

ting His l;v^. '"7 a' the expense of viola-

or/er of 1^1" 'T'"^ *^ ''^^"*y «"<!
--dinar? l:X£^:'r^;"' -

reformats W"" ''""'"'' ^°^ ^''^
to reform the "l 'Td 7? ^ "^^^^'""^^ "
d-temper of sin reqSs a 1 ""f ^"^"'
medy. According If °''® ^'°l«»t re-

«^estrLio„:r : ^c tr^; -- ^^Pe for
vation, God set<, 1,; fu ®*^'""'^1 «»!-

the time whet an uT, .T'^' ""'"--«
in. That work of coL *"" '^ -^*«^«d
carried on from the h " ''°" ^''^"^ ^"^ ''^«»

after the fa Hiroth f^^r^ °' "^" *«^°h'
' '""^""gn all those ages, shall be

2G8

I-ECTURES ON THE

earned on no more. There never .hall be
another soul converted. The mystical bodv
of Christ, which has been growing since it first
began an the days of Adam, will be complete
as to the number of parts, having every one
of Its members. In this respect, the work of
redemptwn will now be finished. And now
the end, for which the means of grace have
been mstituted, shall be obtained. All the
fereat wheels of providence have gone round-
all things are ripe for Christ's Second Com-
ing,—his coming to judge the world."
" Even so, come Lord Jesus."

for Christ s second coming to take place during
l^Pl^^entyear, nor do we profess to know!
or to form the least idea, how much time maj^
yet transpire before that great event

But there are a few things yet to be done
before our Master's return. You have observed
m the foregoing lectures, that we expect the
system of Popery to be destroyed,-and all
J adherents to be taught from the Bible
that there is but cue Mediator between God
and man, the man Christ Jesus. We expect
the overthrow of the Ottoman Empire, now

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 269

Staggering on its last limbs, and enly upheld bv
Chnstiw nations in their love of jusEe and

anS° '"T'""' " ^'^^^ '^ b"t °"« God,
nomfrl.T. /I'^^'P'^P'^''''" -"' ^e heard

Lorlto ^b "f ""^l^'^g^ tl^at Jesus Christ is
w , , ^'"'y °^ ^°'^ *e Father.

bat Ind tb /?'" '" *'^^ "^°'«^ ^^"'J «-

ill 1 M f'";' "^ ''^ ^'"'' ^"'l "-t the
blanch which has broken ofi will yet be grafted

'n aga,n, and so all Israel will be savel.

We confidently rely upou the promise that

the knowedge of the Lord sha'u co"; tt

wfe'Vct'r"^''°^^^'''-''^''«f*es!!r
tiw. cT'l ^ ';"! *'""' °f g^«at prosperity to

the name of tho millennium.
And we think, after that, there will be a
I.ttle season" of religious declension when

miquity will abound.

270

LECTURES.

And we believe, when all this shall be ac
complished, then the '^ Son of Man will come
in Ms glory and all the Iwly angels with him ;
but not till this work is done.

>'«i

LECTURE IX.
THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.

John v. 28, 29.

" The hour is eoming, in the which all that are in the
■graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth ; they
that have done good, unto the resurrection' of life, and
ihey that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damna-
tion.^'

By the second Advent of Christ we mean his
re-appearing to the inhabitants of this earth ;
not as formerly, a babe in Bethlehem, nor as a
man of grief who is acquainted with sorrow ;
but as the Redeemer, who has " seen of the
travail of his soul and is satisfied,"— as a
mighty conqueror, who comes to gather the
spoils he has taken from the '-ncmy ; or, as a
nobleman, who has been in a far country,
while his affairs have been entrusted to his
servants,— 1 i:i comes to receive an account at
their handsj and to reward every one accord-
ing to h^> works.

In uixiuediate connection with the second
Advent will be the resurrection from the

272

LECTURES ON THE

dead, of all who have departed this life, and
the transformation of the then living, into a
state like unto those who have been raised
from the dead.

The doctrine of a resurrection from the dead
is one of pure revelation ; it never could have
been ascertained by any other means ; although
now that it is revealed, it may be illustrated
by some ©f God's works, such as the sowing
of grain and the future reaping of the crop ;
a figure which St. Paul has used so forcibly.
This doctrine of the resurrection was known
long before our blessed Lord gave it such
prominence, m his teaching ; it is very ex-
pressly taught in the Old Testament ; in the
book of Job (xix. 25-27.) we read : " for I
know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he
shall stand at the latter day upon the earth :
and though after my skin worms destroy thi3
body, yet 'm my flesh shall I see God. Whom
I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall
behold, and not another ; thougli my reins be
consumed within me."

It was scarcely possible for Job to express
his hope in tlie resurrection of his body in
more approi)riate or forcible language.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 273

In Psalm xvi. 10, we read, from the pen
of David : -' fo/ thou will not leave my soul
in hell; -either wilt thou suffer thine holy
oiv to see corruption."

i*^ Isaiah xxvi. 19, we read: « thy dead
men shall live, together with my dead body
shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that
dwell in dust : for thy dew is as the dew of
herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead."
Also, in Ezekiel xxxvii. 1—U, we have the
vision of the dry bones, wherein their resur-
rection to life represented the resurrection
from the dead.

At the time when our Saviour appeared in
Judea, the resurrection from the dead was
received as one of the principal articles of the
Jewish religion, by the whole body of the
nation, except the Sadducees; and with il:at
sect our Lord had several conversations, in
which he fully proved the truthfulness of the
doctrine. And, then, as a full confirmation
of our Saviour's teaching, he himself rose
f^om the dead, and thereby gave us a proof,
a pledge, and a pattern of our own resurrec-
tion.

In the first epistle to tlie Corinthians chap.

27i

LECTURES ON THE

XV., St. Paul supplies us with numerous argu-
ments, in support of this doctrine of a gene-
ral resurrection. In the first thirty-five ver-
ses, he considers " whether there be a resur-
rection of the dead," and proves, by several
arguments, that there will be. Then he
states what will be the nature of the resurrec-
tion bodies, verses 35-51. And, in the last
place, he informs us what shall become of
those who « may be found alive in the day of
judgment."— Verses 51-57.

On the subject of a future resurrection, one

important point in discussion has been,whether

a remrrection af the ^stance of the body he

meant or oi.^e minute aru. indestructible

part of u. The latter theory ha^ been adopted

difficulties. You will observe, however, that
the doctrine is taught in the Bible without
any Tery nice distinctions. It is always ex-
hibited as a miraculous work ; and represe -ts
the same body which is laid in the grave as
the subject of this change from death to life
by the power of Christ. '

Another point upon which a difference of
opinion has prevailed, respects the f*^, of the

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 275

resurrection, as to whether a part of the dead
shall be raised to enjoy a thousand years resi-
aence m life upon earth, before the other part
of the dead shall be raised at all, and thus
iorming the theory of two resurrections a
thousand years apart. Or whether there will
be but one resurrection, in which the righteous
and the wicked shall be raised simultaneously.
The pre-millennarians hold the doctrine of
two resurrections,— and the Millerites, in our
day, have adopted their opinion. But, as we
do not agree with them upon this subject, we
shall proceed to consider —

First: The Pre-millennarian Theory.
They would persuade us that when Christ
appears, according to their views, at the
begmning of the millennium, he vnll raise
all the saints that shall have died hefwe that
time, and diange all that shrill then be alive "
The Rev. Mr. Bickersteth, a most excellent
Episcopalian Minister, who died in England
a few years ago, said : <* If the resurrection
of the righteous and the wicked, and the gen-
eral judgment of all men, took place at one
time, and in the same day, none could be
left, as the heads and parents of a redeemed

276

lECTURES ON THE

P^fl"n earth (after the general judgment.)
But the Holy Scriptures reveaJ to us a pro-
gress ,n judgment, and that the resurrection
of the righteous and the wicked are dearly
rhsHnct ^n Ume. There is the first resurrec!
tion of the saiats at the commencement of
he m.l lennium, and after the thousand years
the rest of the dead (the wicked) live and
are judged."* ' °

Bishop Newtont says : « Wickedness being
restramed, the reign of righteousness succeeds!
and .he admmistration of justice «nd jud-r.
ment IS given to the saints of the MostHio-h-
and the martyrs and confessors of Jesus, not
only those who were beheaded, or suffered
anykmd of death under the heathen empe-
rors but also those who refused to comply
with the Idolatrous worship of the beast and
his unage, are raised from the dead and have
the principal share in the felicities of Christ's
kingdom upon earth. But the rest of the dead
hved not again until the thousand years wera
hnished, so that this was a peculiar prerooti-
tiv^of the martyrs and confessors above the

• Brown, p. 16«. ~~~ '

*I>i3. on Prop., p. 661.

SECOND ABVENT OP CHRIST 277

rest of mankind. This is the first resurrec-
t.on, a^arWa. resurrection, preceding the

^'T rV* '^^' ^ thousand^years."^

iiut the first resiurrection," says the candid
and acute Mr. Birks, "offers a still sev^r^

here appeal to innumerable texts where it is
plamly revealed. The analogy of scripture

silti: '"^T ^-^"^ favor.fppearsS
Sight ob^re and ambiguous. In maintaining
this doctrine, therefore, we have to rest onlf
upon the word of God, and chiefly on this one
propke^, (Rev. chap, xx.) Why, then, should

LT T' ? ^^^'■^^^^ ^ disputable and
bset tenth such difficulties, be now pressed upon
the attention of the Church ? The answer is
very plam. Grant, for one moment, that the
doctrine is true, and you must feel that it is
one of deep interest to ourselves." •

Dr. Gumming, one of the latest writers
who advocate the doctrine of two literal resur-
rections, states his views thus : « I have
showed you what will take place at the resur-
rection, when Christ shall come, ' who is the
r_esurrection and the hfe.' The moment that
•Brown, p. 19I. " " —

278

LECTURES ON THE

he cloud shall waft him on its wings from
the throne on which he now sits, and bring
h.m wxthm the range and the attraction of
the orb on which we now stand-that instant
every grave that has a saint beneath it, though
the ocean's pressure or the Alpine hills and
avalanches be upon it, shall sph^t asunder, and
Its awakened dead shall come forth /a.S
every grave that contains the^ust of an un-
renewed and unconverted man-let it be

wTbo, ""V ^""'"' *^'^'«*' - -scribed
with ho y epitaph-let it be a cathedral vault

or marble mausoleum-be it what it may _

the summons will be unheard, and the de'ad

dust that ,s there will lie as still and as quTet

as the dead in the churchyard, were yo^or

to say to them, 'come forth.' You wi see

emerge from one grave a cloud of sain thai

have heard the sound of the SavioS v t

m Its inmost caverns, and rise to reign w th

^ \f:rf T' ' ^"'^ y- -"'- "

graves of the dead, who are not in Christ

ITT '*'" T^ ^''^""le^s, asif the wind on y
swept over them. But the living, what Tl
be heir case ? < The dead in Chri;Sai rj e
first,' says the apostle ;< and we, Which ;:

SECOND ADVEKT OF CHRIST. 279

alive and remain, shall be caught up to meet
the Lord an the air.' What a sublime spec-
tacle w,ll that be ! What awful and startling
severances ! 1 look into that home : one risel
as he hears a mysterious bidding, and ascends
«nder a mysterious attraction, and meets the
I-ord m the air-the mother is taken, the

daughter is lei, , or two rise, and the r"^
remain." •

hv^rJt".?^''' *" "^''^^ *« arguments
by which the doctrine of two resurrections
IS attempted to be upheld. W^e may natu-
ral y suppose that if this doctrine is revealed
in the scriptures, it will have some degree of
prommence therein, nearly, if „ot qtite as
much, as the doctrine of a resurrection has.
The supporters of the theory of a first resur-
rection will, of course, have collected all the
passages which bear upon the point. We
shall examine what they have produced. 1
Cor., XV., and 1 Thess., iv., are commonly
adduced as treating of the resurrection of
believers, but not mentioning the resurrection
of the wicked, which, it is alleged, they would
have done if both classes rise together. "The
* tiec. on Apoc, p. 480. "

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280

LECTURES ON THE

Wicked are excluded from these passages, not
because they will rise at the same time, but
because they will not rise on the same prin-
ciple. They will not rise as represented by,
and entitled to life in Christ. When he said
to his disciples, * because I live ye shall live
also,' he enunciated a principle under which .
the wicked do not stand, and spoke of a life
which they will never taste. The character
of th^t life, the grounds of it, and the subjects
of It, are all restrictive.'' * The writers of
these passages, speaking of a resurrection
peculiar to believers, could not have intro-
duced the resurrection of the wicked as shar-
ing m it. But where a resurrection common
to both classes is spoken of, we find the wicked
are mentioned.

Another passage, which has already been
referred to in a preceding lecture, is Phil. iii.
11 '''Ifby any means I might attain unto
the resurrection of the deadP It is clear that
the Apostle's wish was not for a general
resurrection, for that was certain to him, and
to all, but it was the resurrection of the just,
a resurrection peculiar to them, not with regard
* Brown, p. 192 ""^ ~ "

SECOND ADVENT OF CflRIST.

281

to its times but

evident, if

ii^ character ; thig

we consider what he says in vc

''We look for the Smmnir, the Lard Yems
Christ : who shall change our vile body, that it
may be fashioned like unto his glorimis body.''
It IS most evident the Apostle is here speaking
of the resurrection of the righteous with
regard to the nature of their resurrection
bodies, and that the Apostle earnestly desired
such a resurrection for himself.

Dr. Gumming* says: <^ I think I see,,
throughout Scripture, clearly enunciated two
resurrections. These two are stated in the
26th chapter of this book, (Revelations,) and
that the literal meaning is the true, I think
will appear, if you notice a peculiarity in the
language of the Apocalypse, viz., that inva-
riably after St. John has stated some great
symbol, he introduces a parenthetic explana-
tion of it, which is of necessity literal. Thus,
when he sees seven candlesticks, he appends'
the explanation of it ; the seven candlesticks,
i.e,, the symbols, are seven churches. The
statement, they « are seven churches,' is a
literal explanation of the symbol ' seven can-
•Lec. on Apoc, p. 479. ~ "

282

aiesticks ;' so here, wh

LECTURES ON THE

en he states that those

that had not the mark of the beast

€,v^A • -"-*«. ui me Deast shall ri'if^

litera fulfilment, but it is an historical or ex
P lanatory statement of a symbol wh oh lite"

Srn'd'nS' '': '"'^'^ ^-'•" That he
iearned Doctor thought he saw jj^ literal

sections in this chapter, we do n" dolt
but It appears to us there must hav. T
some obtuseness about his tlSgitl vi^ST
for „nle. we a.e very much mlstaleThe

Zyto^yT"'.^'' '°"^^*^g ^hich is con!
trary to other plain parts oi Scrintnr» „ ^

exther the inspired wrL St. John Eh!!
wntten something contrary to th; other il
sp.red writers, or else the respecLd au h^
from whom we have quoted the above has
failed to discover their harmony; thtj bl
pressmg St. John into his service he h?' I

literal resurrecSn ' ° ''" ''°'='"°« ^' '^°

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 283

Daniel xii. 2 : "And many of th^ that
y ^n tl^ dust oftU eank sMU LlZ, 1
to everlastz^, Ufe, and some toshame and Z
lastzng contempt." It is quite plaL X
Daniel here speaks of "h.-t
nnrl t),of "^^ resurrection,

e JerW PT»^*ose who are raised to
ever acting hfe, and those v^ho are raised to
everlasting contempt. *°

In John V. 28 29, oi« blessed Lord says:
The hour is coming, in the which all the, are
m th^ graves shall hear his voice, and shall come
forth ; theythat have done good, unto the resur- ■
rection of Ufe, and they that have done evil
■>^^io the resurrection of damnation.''

We do not see the possibility of stating
the o^e resurrection from the dead, of both
r.ghteous and wicked, as occurring at the
same Ume, more fully than these words of
Christ do Other passages could easily be

W i" . '''""'^'"'''"^ *^« these, bul we
hope the above are sufficient to show candid

« Jt^' rf »''"'' ^'•^ '^ "*« resurrection
ter f^ f : ?r °*'y "«<l««'ands the mat-
ter and that he ha3 truthfully stated it: and
we do not see any discrepancy between the

284

LECTURES ON THE

master and the disciple upon this subject ;
but we do observe how much pre-conceived
opinions may warp the judgment of good men ,
who interpret scripture according to their
own peculiar tenets.

You perceive that this doctrine of two
resurrections is founded chiefly upon one diffi-
cult passage, in the most difficult book of
scripture ; and we may very naturally suppose,
as the resurrection from the dead, both of the
righteous and the wicked, is so often men-
tioned in scripture, where the meaning is
perfectly plain— that these two resurrections
are dearly distinguished, at least that they
should be spoken of as being distant from
each other with regard to time. But we '
speak advisedl> when we say, there is not
one plain passage which really teaches, or
even appears to intimate, that there shall be
two resurrections,with a long interval between
them.

There is one passage in 1 Theps. iv. 16, 17
which, in its wording, and by tearing it av/ay
from its connection with what follows, seems
to speak of a first resurrection ; it reads thus :
« For the Lord himself shall descend from

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 285

j heaven with a shout, with the voice of the

archangel, and with the trump of God • and
the dead m Christ shall rise first." Now if
we were to stop here, and not read what fol-
lows we might suppose St. Paul took the lead
in the doctrine of two resurrections; but if
you observe what stands in immediate eonr ac-
tion with that passage, the Apostle's meaning
IS perfectly plain ; for he adds, « then '' that
IS, immediately after the dead is raised^ "then
we, which are alive and remain, shaU be caught
«P together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air : and so shall we ever be
with the Lord." Thus the Apostle's meaning
IS most palpably evident that the resurrection
from the dead shall take place while people
are living upon the earth, and that when the
dead are raised the living shall be caught up
m the a.r to appear at the judgment seat of
Christ.

But the erroneous character of this pre-
millennarian theory of two resurrections will
be more fully shown by considering—

Secondly, the true and scriptural char-
acter of the resurrection from the dead, with
respect to the subjects of it, and the time
wlien It shall take place.

286

LECTURES ON THE

. First, that the righteous dead will be par-
takers of that privilege, the scriptures are most
explicit. The resurrection from the dead was
not contained in the first covenant with man
m Paradise ; it is one of those gracious provi-
sions made to us by the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus, and it is reasonable to suppose
that whatever might become of the wicked
dead, the righteous would be raised again.
But we are not left to mere conjecture upon
this subject ; the scriptures very clearly teach
us that the righteous who have suffered for
their Saviour, shall also reign with him, and
that the dignity to which they shall be ex-
alted will be conferred upon the body raised
from the dead and re-united with the soul
as well as upon the immortal spirit. '

The prophet Daniel says : " And many of
them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall
awake, some to everlasting life, and some to
shame and everlasting contempt."

In the epistle to the Colossians, iii. 4 we
read : - When Christ, who is our life, shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with him in
glory." Again, in the epistle to the Philip-
pians. iii. 20, 21 : « For our conversation is

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 287

I in heaven ; from whence also we look for the

Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall

Jike unto his glorious body, according to the
-orbng thereby he is able even toMue
^ *angs unto hiniself." Again, St. John
^ith (1 Ep,s. in. 2) : « Beloved, now are
we the sons of God, and it doth not Lt alelr
what we shall be , but we know that, when
he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we
shal see him as he is." These, an'd Xr

sTvS'^f.'' °'r'^ «h°^ that those who
serve God in their day and generation, in the

vineyardofhischi.ch,shallbebroughthome
o their Master's house, to be rewarded accord!
mg to their works.

From our last lecture upon the « little sea
son," we were led to expect, that when tht

srrnSr'""'' "^ '^''^'^^ -^"A

surrounded the camp of the saints, and the
beloved city, there would evidently be some
faithfiil witnesses for Christ • th.L T

numbered by thousands, ortk^^rfl;
sands ; but whatever the number may be it i

the trump of God may be sounded, and the

288

LECTURES ON THE

dead immediately raised to life ; and should
this be the case, then the living saints would
not die, but would at once be transformed, so
as to make them like their brethren, who
have just risen from the dead ; or more pro-
porly like unto Christ in his body, as he came
forth from the tomb ; " we shall not all sleep,"
says St. Paul, (1 Cor. xv. 51-52): "but we
shall be changed, in a moment, in the twink-
ling of 'an eye, at the last trump : for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
The Apostle then proceeds to describe the pe-
culiarities of the resurrection body. " For
this corruptible," says he, " must put on in-
corruption ; and this mortal must put on im-
mortality." In a lew verses preceding this
he says, respecting the body, " it is sown in
dishonor, it is raised in glory ; it is sown in
. weakness, it is raised in power ; it is sown a
natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."
The remrrection body, then, will be remarka-
ble for these qualities, it will be inccrruptible,
immortal, poioerful, glorious, and spirituaL —
These qualities will fully fit it for the eternal
destinies of heavenly employment and bliss

SKCOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 289

tl'at await it. A paragraph Ifom Watson's
Iheological Dictionary, will set this matter
more fully before us ; he says, " It is sown an
aminal body_a body which previously ex-
isted with all the organs, faculties and propen-
sities, requisite to procure, receive and appro-
priate nutriment ; but it shall be raised a
spiritual body, refined from the dregs of mat-
ter, freed from the organs and senses required
only in its former state, and probably possess-
ing the remaining senses in greater perfec-
tion together with new and more exquisite
facult.es, fitted for the exalted state of exist-
ence and enjoyment, to which it is now ris-
ing- In the present, state, the organs and
senses appointed to transmit the impression of
objects to the mind, have a manifest relation
to the respective objects ; the eye and seeing
tor example, to light; the ear and hearing to'
sound. In the refined and glorious state of
existence, to which good men are tending,
where tlie objects which solicit attention will
be infinitely more, numerous, interesting and
uelightful, may not the new organs, faculties
and senses, be proportionally refined, acute,
susceptible or penetrating ? Then the senses

290

LECTURES ON THE

S';.'ii

will no longer degrade the affections, the
imagination no longer corrupt the heart ; the
magnificent scenery thrown open to view will
animate the attention, give a glow and vigor
to the sentiments,— roused attention will never
tire J those glowing sentiments will never
cloy ; but the man, now constituted of an
indestructible body, as well as of an immortal
soul, may visit in eternal succession the streets
of the celestial city, may drink of the pure
river of the water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding out of the throne of God, and of
the Lamb ; and dwell for ever in those abodes
of harmony and peace, which though * eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man,' yet we are
assured they are prepared for them iiiat love
God.— 1 Cor. ii. 9."

The resurrection of the wicked from the
dead is as clearly set forth in the sacred writ-
ings, as the resurrection of the just. Hence
in Daniel, in the passage already quoted, the
prophet tells us " some" shall come forth from
their graves "^o shame and everlasting con-
tem'ptP And, in our text, Christ informs us,
<* all that are in the graves shall liear his

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

291

voice, and shall come forth ; they tliat have
done good unto the resurrection of life, and
they that have done evil unto the resurrec-
tion of damnation:' But, from the state of
the world at the time when the judgment
shall begin, we have reason to think that
multitudes of wicked persons will be upon
the face of the earth at that time ; and, con-
sequently, these living wicked, like the
righteous, will not die, but will be changed
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
when the trumpet shall sound and the dead
be raised.

- But we proceed, thirdly, to observe that the
scriptures clearly teach, that the resurrection
from the dead comprehends both classes at once.
Those pass3ges already quoted from Daniel and
Christ, in our text, most clearly show that the
resurrection of the righteous and the wicked
will be simultaneous,- -indeedy it is difficult to
see how the resurrection of both classes at the
same tin-e could be more clearly stated, "all
that are in the graves shall hear his voice and
shall come forth, they that have done good,
unto the resurrection of life, and they that
have done evil, unto the resurrection of dam-

ttm

292

I.ECTURES ON THE

nutiou." (See preceding part of this Lec-
ture.) St. Paul, in his defence, Acts xxiv. 15>
says : " there shall be a resurrection of the
dead, both of the just and unjust." As it
will be a resurrection of the two classes, no
person will be exempt or excluded from it.
All who have died, shall rise again, in obe-
dience to the fiat of the Creator and Re-
deemer, irrespective of either character or
destiny^ "All that are in the graves shall
come forth P

The Scriptures, therefore, clearly repre-
sent the resurrection of both the righteous
and the wicked, as taking plcwe at the same
time, in one promiscuous company, when
the last trumpet shall sound ; and, unless
we suppose that the resurrection of all
the dead, will be a simultaneous event, many
of the descriptions, would be destitute of pro-
priety, nay, they would not appear in accor-
dance with revealed truth, in other parts of
the Bible. For illustration take the words of
Christ, where he says : " when the Son of
Man shall come in his glory, and all his holy-
angels with him, then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory \ and before him shall be

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

293

gathered all nations, and he shall separate
them one from another, as a shepherd divid-
eth his sheep from the goats=" But if the
righteous rise in one company at one time^ and
the wicked in another company at another
time, there could be no process oj separation,
resemblmg that which is here described.

The resurrection of the dead, of the just
and the unjust, will take place at Christ's se-
cond Advent, and immediately before the judg-
ment of the great day.

The rising of the dead, we are t-^ught to
believe, will not be preceded by any circum-
stances in the course of nature to lead an
unthinking world to expect it. It will take
place unawares, and surprise men in the midst
of their pursuits, their pleasures, and their
crimes. The tide of human affairs will be
rolling on as formerly, and the gi-eat mass of
mankind, sunk in indifference and sensuality,
in that " little season" of apostacy. « For as
in the days that were before the flood, they
were eating and drinking, marrying and giv-
ing in marriage, until the day that Noe entered
into the ark, and knew not until the flood
came, and took them all away ; so shall also

294.

LECTURES ON THE

the coming of the Son of Man be."-~Matt.
xxiv. 38, 39.

While these things are proceeding, the
appearance of the Son of God in the clouds,
clothed in all the grandeur of tho upper world,
will produce feelings in the minds of men
which no language can adequately express.
What consternation and dismay will seize
them when they hear the thunders of the
last trumpet, when they see the dead arising
from their graves, and all nature dissolving
around them. Many, whose spirits have just
departed, and whose bodies are still stretched
upon the couches where they expired, will
start up in a moment, before those who min-
istered to them during the last struggles of
nature ; some, while on the way to the grave,
will, like the widow's son, burst from the
coffin in which they are enclosed, throw aside
their grave cloths, and every vestige of mor-
tality, and hasten away to take their place
before " the great wh^'te throne." Scarce
shall the astonished spectators have witnessed
these things when they themselves will be
changed ; and called to appear before the
judgment seat of Christ. Such will, be the

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

295

Closing scene of time, such the circumstances
connected with the rising of the dead. By
the righteous, the whole scene will be view-
ed with composure and confidence. From
the midst of the ruins of creation they will
lift up their heads with joy, aud when look-
ing to the great Being who shall then be seen
descending through the sky in flaming fire,
attended by hosts of angels, they will exclaim
with holy exultation, << Lo ! this is our God,
we have waited for him, he will save us."*
But to the wickefl, the scene will be one of
trembling and fear : consciences which have
long slumbered will in a moment awake, and
the polluted heart will palpitate with the
greatest rapidity.

All this, then, will take place at the second
coming of Christ, as is clear from several parts
of scripture. St. Paul said unto the Colos-
sians (iii. 4) « Wh.en Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
him in glory."

Again, in 1 Thessalonians iv. 16, 17, we
read, " for the Lord himself ^\m\\ descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
♦ Christian Prospect, p. »l.

296

LECTURt.. ON THB

archangel, and with the trump of God ; and
the dead in Christ shall rise first ; then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air."

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

i97

LECTURE X.

THE SECOND ADVENT ITSELF,

Matt. xxv. 31.

'[When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and
all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the
tfirone of his glory."

The second Advent of Christ is a subject in
which we have the deepest interest. If Christ
never will come, then he was the greatest
impostor, his disciples the greatest diipes,Chris-
tianity the most flagrant system of fraud, and
the Bible the most cunningly devised fable.
Upon the truthfulness of Christ's second ap-
pearing then, every thing depends j but, blessed
be God, such is the clearness, and fullness of
divine revelation upon this point, that none
need falter in his faith, or hesitate to stake his
all upon it. Christ will come, Christ will i7iost
certainly come. The Bible has thrown its
light upon that event for thousands of years
now past ; that light, at first, was seen by but
few persons, but it was sufficient to teach

lit'

298

LECTURES ON THE

them the certainty of Messiah's second com-
ing ; even Enoch, the seventh from Adam, pro-
phesied of these (things) saying, " Behold the
Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
to execute judgment upon all, and to convince
all that are ungodly among them of all their
vmgodly deeds." — .Tude xiv. 15. The Psalm-
ist, too, spoke of the s:ime great event, v/here
he says, " Our God shall come, and shall not
keep silence ; a fire shall devour before him,
and it shall be very tempestuous round about
him: he shall call the heavens from above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people."
(Ps. 1. 3, 4.) Daniel, speaking of the particu-
lar judgment which is to come upon the " lit-
tle horn," the system of Popery, supplies us
with a description, the particulars of which
strikingly correspond with the New Testa-
ment descriptions of the general judgment ; he
says, " I beheld till the thrones were cast down,
and the Ancient of days did sit, whose gar-
ment was white as snow, and the hair of his
head like pure wool , his throne was like the
fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
A fiery stream issued, and came forth from
before him: thousand thousands ministered

li'iii

SECOxVD ADVENT OF CHRIST.

299

unto him, and ten thousand tifnes ten thou-
sand stood before him : the judgment was set,
and the books were opened." (Dan. vii. 9, 10.)
What a sublime and inimitably grand descrip-
tion have we here, mixed with admirable sim-
plicity; how plainly docs it appear to have
been the effect, not of genius and art, but of a
mind, through the inauences of the Divine
Spirit, elevated with the gi-andeur, awed with
the majesty, and struck with the terror of the
subject ! *

These ancient prophecies of our Lord's
second coming, have the sanction of his own
authority, not only as being inspired by him,
but as being confirmed by most express de-
clarations, delivered by himself while he was
upon earth, and after his ascension into Ueaven,
and that, both before friends and enemies. I
shall produce only two or three of these as
specimens of the rest. Thus, when Caiaphas,
the elders and scribes, had the boldness to call
their Creator and final judge to take his trial
at their tribunal ; before these he testified :
" Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting
on the right hand of power, and coming in the

Benson's Sermons.

ti MKiM^fe.

300

LECTURES ON THE

clouds of heavenP To his friends and follow-
ers, he often foretold the same event, though
with a different view, not merely to convince
and alarm, but to comfort and encourage them.
Thus, when predicting and describing the
destruction of Jerusalem, and the ruin of the
Jewish church and polity, he slides (as it were)
insensibly into this important subject typified
by that, declaring, "after the tribulation of
those day^ the sun shall be darkened, and the
moon shall not give her light, and the stars
shall fall from heaven, and the f .wers of the
heavens shall be shaken : and then shall ap-
pear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven :
and then shall all the tribes of the earth
mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man
coming in the clouds of heaven with power
and great glory." And in the next chapter,
(Matt. XXV.) which appears to contain the last
public discourse our Lord delivered before he
was offered up ; he declares, in the words of
our text, " When the Son of Man shall come
in his glory, and all the holy angels with him,
then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory ;
and before him shall be gathered all nations."*
♦ Brown.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 301

To tlxese express and particular declarations
delivered by our Lord, while he tabernacled
upon earth in his state of humiliation, we may
subjom his testimony from heaven, after he
entered upon his state of exaltation, and was
invested with all power in heaven and on
earth. « The faithful and true witness" says :
" Behold, I come quickly, blessed is he that
keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this
book." And again, « Behold, I come quickly,
and my reward is with me, to give unto every
man according as his work shall be." Again,
'' He that testifieth these things, saith. Surely
I come quickly." To which the church re-
plies, "Amen: Even so, come. Lord Jesus."
We shall merely add the testimony of an-
gels gwen to those who witnessed the ascen-
sion of our blessed Lord, when they said,
" Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up
into heaven ? this same Jesus who is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come in
like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven." The repeated testimony of the
Apostles inspired by the Holy Spirit, gives the
closing evidence to this doctrine of the in-
spired word: nnd Hn"a ^^r'.A^^^^ -i--„ -^
^ "■■'■' ^"-"^'^iiv;^/ pmccs liie

802

LECTURES ON THE

subject upon a foundation so broad, bo firm,
and so sicrc, that it leaves no room to doubt,
in the mind of him who confides in the in-
spiration of Scripture.

First : consider some of those events and
OCCURRENCES which shall imxaedix^ielY precede
and attend the second coming of Christ.

For the sake of classification, we shall refer
— First, to the state of the human family ^ when
that great event takes place.

If we remember that there will have been
a lo ig time of universal peace and prosperity
in the church and the world, during the mil-
lennium, perhaps a thousand years, in which
the nations shall neither learn nor practice
war, when Satan shall be bound, and the cupi-
dity and ambition of human nature no where
be seen ; considering that long, happy, peace-
ful and prosperous state, we think it probable
that the earth's population may be greatly
increased, perhaps to the extent of its ability
to sustain them. But when Satan is loosed
from his chain, and let out of his prison, and
he goes forth to deceive the nations agfvin, for
a " little season ;" about the close of that pe-
riod, we find that preparations for a srreat war

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

303

shall be made by Gor, the captain of Satan's
forces, who shall finally hem in the camp of
the saints and the holy city, to cut them off
both root and branch ; but God will suddenly
destroy these hosts of his people's enemies :
so that myriads of them shall be cold in
death.

In other parts of the world, men will be
engaged in the ordinary avocations of life.
To use the words of Boston : Christ's « com-
ing will be a mighty surprise to the world,
which will be found in deep security ; foolish
virgins sleeping, and the wise slumbering.
There will then be much luxury and debauch-
ery in the world ; little sobriety and watchful-
ness ; a great throng of business, but a great
scarcity of faith and holiness. The coming
of the judge will surprise some at markets,
buying and selling; others at table, eating
and drinking, and making merry ; others
busy with their new plantings ; some build-
ing new houses ; nay, the wedding day,
with some, will be their judgment day. But
the judge Cometh ! the markets are marred ;
the buyer throws away what he has bought ;
the seller casts down his money ; the vpluptu-

x«

■Ill

III

30i

LECTURES ON THE

ous are raised from the table, and their mirtl,
IS extinguished in a moment ; the l.ridegroom,
bnde and guests, must leave the wedding
feast, and appear before the tribunal; for, be-
hold he Cometh with clouds, and every eye
shall sec him." - ' ^

The author of the « Grand Crisis" thus des-
cribes the scene : « Imagine for a moment, that
while the inhabitants of earth are absorbed
in the various occupations of life, steeping
all their Senses in the business enterprises of
the passing hour, planting, building, buyin-
sell,„g_the farmer at his market ! the plan"-
ter with his trees! the tmdesman in his shop -
the m,ser counting his gold ; the idler at his
tolly; the evil servant smiting his fellow;
each m his day dream !-when all upon a
sudden, there is discovered in the heavens, as
tar as the eye can reach, an undefinable
brightness-it grows more resplendant as it
approaches, and that which at first excited
imie or no concern, now begins to attract the
attention of thousands and millions of the
human race. As it moves on, the heart of
the scoffer yields to misgivings, and begins to
relent ; but yet he tries affectedly to lau-h -

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

305

the philosopher endeavors to trace the second
cause, but scarcely satisfies himself—the hypo-
crite, with his sanctimonious countenance,
who < stole the livery of the court of heaven
to serve the devil in,' grows pale.— All men
of every clime, and in every city, or hamlet,
now gaze and wonder at the sight, while
guardian angels whisper in the ears of the
sanctified and waiting ones— ^^25 is the sign of
the Son of Man; when instantly the cloud
unfolds itself, and lo ! seated on a throne like
the fiery flame, whose wheels now roll in
livid fire— appears the Son of Man." These
descriptions, you perceive, are based, both in
sentiment and expression, upon Scripture
statements ; we shall quote a few of the pas-
sages to conclude this paragraph. Luke. xvii.
26-30 : '^And as it was in the days of JSfoe,
so shall it he also in the days of the Son of Man,
They did eat, they drank, they married
v.'ives, they were given in marriage, until the
day that Noe entered into the ark, and the
flood came, and destroyed them all. Like-
wise also, as it was in the days of Lot ! they
did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold,
they planted, they builded. But the same

306

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LECTURES ON THB

day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire
and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed
mem all. Jivcn thus slmll it be in the day
when the Son of Man is revealed "

] Thess. V. 2 : « For yourselves know per-
fect^ that the day cf the Lord so cometh as a
f'^f^'^the nightr that. is unexpectedly.
Ver 3 : "For when they shall say, peace and
safety ; then sudden destruction cometh upon
tliem ;— and they shall not escape ' '

2Pet.>iii. 10 :" But the day of the Lord
will come as a thief in the night : in the
Which the heavens shall pass away with a
gi-eat noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, the earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned up."

With what consternation will the wicked
and the worldly behold the Son of Man as
he thus appears. Jesus says, -then shall aJ.l
the tnbc-s of the earth mozirn, and )l,ey shall
see the Son of Blan coming i„ the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory." fMatt
xxiv. 30.) Dr. Watt's says, " consider how
vain all the refuges and hopes of sinners will
be found in that dreadful day of the Lord.
They will call on the rocks and mountains to

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

307

fall on them and to cover them. Who shall
•call on these stupendous works of God?
wicked kings, mighty men, rich men ; they
had once the direction of armies ; but now
the day of their power is over. Rocks und
mountains ! Oh, how vain, to call creatures
to screen from the Creator \ Rocks and
mountains have ever been obedient to God !
Rocks and mountains, in their cliffs and dens,
and caverns, may be occasional refuges to
hide men from storms, or from their pursuers ;
but he whose eyes are as a flame of fire pene-
trates the deepest recesses. Rocks and
mountains are often places of defence ; but
can these defend against Omnipotence 1 He
throws down the mountains and tears the
rocks in pieces, (Nahum, i. 2, 6.) Rocks and
mountams, indeed, falling on weak and feeble
worms, will crush them to atoms. If this is
what these great men wish, it is vain. They
may seek death, but death will flee from
them. The work of death has terminated."
Such is an imperfect representation of the
inigodly in the day when the Lord shall come
the second time ; but how will it be with the
righteous, who are then alive ? Judging from

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LECTURES ON THE

those passages which refer to the « little sea-
son," we have reason to think they will be
greatly 2^ersecuted in those latter days, « hunt-
ed as a partridge in the mountain ;" persecuted
in one city, they will flee unto another, until
they are plundered of their property, driven
into exile, and slain as sheep for the slaughter ;
they are compelled, for mutual defence, to
form the remnant into a camp around the holy
city ; there, while they are prayerfully and
anxiously waiting the onset of their besieging
enemies, these enemies are suddenly and
miraculously destroyed. These signs of the
times will create an expectation of Christ's
speedy coming, for they will not be in dark-
ness, that that day should overtake them as a
thief, (1 Thess. v. 4) but watching and pray-
ing, they will at length recognize him as he
approaches, and in hallowed strains they will
sing, " Lo, this is our God j we have waited
for him, and he will save us : This is the
Lord ; we have waited for him ; we will be
glad and rejoice in hissalvation."— Isa. xxv. 9.
The occurrences that shall take place in
the heavenly bodies. To this part of our sub-
ject we proceed with considerable trepidation

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

309

and self-distrust; the scenes described in
scripture are so transcendently graTid, that if
a literal interpretation mitst be given of them,
how far the great event of Christ's second
coming will disturb our planetary system, or
affect other similar systems contiguous to our
own, it is impossible to know. If the des-
criptions given in the bible are to be under-
stood figuratively, then the subject will be
stripped of much of that grandeur, but the
result will be the same to us ; our earnest
prayer to God is, that he will guide us aright,
and save us from error, so far as the interests
of his church may require it.

In Matt. xxiv. 29, our Lord says, " Imme-
diately after those days shall the sun be dark-
ertedy and the moon shall not give her light,
and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the
poivers of the heavens sJiall he shaken; and
then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man
ia heaven." The Adventists find no diffi-
culty at all in applying this passage as an
immediate precursor of Christ'' s speedy coming,
for they tell us that « in May 19th, 17S0, there
was a remarkable fulfilment thereof." * •
Quoting from others, « they say the darkness

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LECTURES ON THE

(of that clay) was supernatural, from morning
until night, and during most of the night ;
although the moon had fulled only the night
previous." Another writer they report as
saying, " The sun rose clear, and shone for
several hours ; at length the sky became over-
cast with clouds, and by ten o'clock, a. m.,
the darkness was such as to occasion the
farmers to leave their work in the fields and
retire to their dAvellings ; fowls went to their
roosts, antl before noon lights became neces-
sary to the transaction of business within
doors. The darkness continued through the
day, and the night, till, near morning, it was
as unusually dark as the day." The writer
of the « Grand Crisis," after giving the above
quotations, adds, " Where shall we look for a
more literal and exact fulfilment than the
above extracts exhibit of those remarkable
signs r ' We answer, on the day ivhen Christ
gave np the Ghost, Again, concerning the
darkness of the sim, Dr. More says : " Though
it may seem a panic fear at first sight, yet if
the matter be thoroughly examined, there
will appear no contemptible reasons that may
induce men to suspect that it may at last fall

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 311

out, there having been at certain times such
near offers in nature towards this sad accident
ah-eady. The like happened in Justinian's
time, as Cedrenus writes j when, fur a whole
year together, the sun was of a very dim and
duskish hue, as if he had been in a perpetual
eclipse ; and, in the time^of Irene the empress,
it was so dark for seventeen days together,
that the ships lost their way in the sea, and
were ready to run one against another, as
Theophanes reports."

But these dark times do not prove any of
them to have been a fulfilment of this sign.
Nay, the very fact of the latter taking pl^ce
74 years ago, according to their own statement,
is enough to induce us to think that the occur-
rence was not an immediate sign that the
day of the Lcnxl was at hand ; then again, the
limited extent of this darkness is against this
application of it, for they make no statement
of that extent; so then, f.-r any thing we
know to the contrary, the darkness might
prevail over a very small tract of country j
whereas, the darkening of the sun, in the
passage before us, appears to mean not simply
the intervention of a dark cloud, but the ex-

312

LECTURES ON THE

tinction of the sun's light. If we must give
some literal interpretation to this pign of
Christ's second coming, are we then to sup-
pose that the sun, as the centre of our system,
is to be blotted out^ never to emit another ray
of light to any planet or satellite now under
his influence. We have no sympathy with
such an opinion as this ; we think, however
paradoxical it may appear, that the sun will
give outi as much light as before, even when he
is darkened / and that the expression may be
explained in another way. The sun is shin-
ing, but Christ appears in flaming fire, and
the celestial light attending the Son of God
may so far exceed the solar light oj the sun,
that the sun may be said to be darkened by
it> — just as the light which the moon reflects
by day is not discernible because of the greater
light of the sun at the same time. This idea
may be further illustrated by the comparison
which the Apostle makes between the law
and the gospel ; he speaks of both as being
glorious, but the gospel is much more so ; his
words are, " for even that which was made
gloriouS; /irtrZ no glory in this respect, by reason
of the glmy that exailethP — 2 Cor. iii. 10.

SECOND ADVENT OF CIIIUST.

313

The glory of the gospel was so transcendently
great, that it threw the glory of the law com-
pletely into the shade ; and is it not highly
probable that the heavenly light of Christ at
his second coming may so fully outshine the
sun, that the latter cannot be seen on our
earth, and thus he may be said to be darkened.
But after all this literal interpretation, may
not the language be figurative. Dr. Clarke
says, « ni the prophetic language, great com-
motions upon earth are often represented
under the notion of commotions and changes
in the heavens. The fall of Bahylofi is
represented by the stars and constellations of
heaven withdrawing their light, and the sun
and moon being darkened. See Isa. xiii. 9,
10: ^Behold the day of the Lord cometh,
cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay
the land desolate : and he shall destroy the
sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of
heaven and the constellations thereof, shall
not give their light j the sun shall be darkened
in liis going forth, and the moon shall not
cause her light to shine.' Again, the destruc-
tion of Egypt is spoken of by the heavens
being covered, the sun enveloped with a cloud,

iilv

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|i .■

1 ' ft y

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LECTURES ON THE

and the moon withholding her light. — Ezek.
xxxii. 7, 8. The destruction of Jerusalem is
also represented by the prophet Joel, chap. ii.
30, 31, by showing wonders in heaven and in,
earth — darlicning the sun and turning the
moon into hlood. This general mode of des-
cribing these judgments, leaves no room to
doubt the^ropriety of it^^ application in the
present case." The learned commentator
applies tile passage to the destruction of Jeru-
salem ; but supposes that its most appropriate
application is to those events which shall take
place at the second Advent of Christ, they
may refer to the overthrow of systems and
dominions then prominent in the world.

It is said further, " that the stars shall fall
from heaven, and the powers of the heavens
shall be shaken." Here, again, the Adven-
tists find no difficulty, for they can apply
these predictions to any occurrence that they
can press into their service, to support their
theory of Christ's immediate appearance.
Hence, the author of the " Grand Crisis" tells
us this sign " was literally fulfilled on the
night of November 13, 1833," and he quotes
from newspapers some extracts which refer to

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

315

the occurrence. And what was the falling
of those stars 1 but a shower of meteors seen on
this continent ; now, it is probable that meteors^
or falling stars, as they are called, have been
seen at intervals ever since the fall of man.
I suppose there is not an adult upon earth who
is blessed with sight, but who has seen those
falling stars j and are we to suppose that these
have always been a sign of the speedy coming
of Christ ? how frivolous ; what cojisummate
trifling is this with the words of the Son cf
God?

We shall here supply a quotation from Dry-
den's translation of Virgil, to show how hea-
thens viewed these meteors as omens of evil
times :

" And oft before tempestuous winds arise

The seeming stars fall headlong from the skies,

And shooting through the darkness, gild the night

With sweeping glories, and long trails of light.

The sun reveals the secrets of the sky,

And who dares give the source of light the lie ?

The change of empires often he declares,

Fierce tumults, hidden treasons, open wars.

He first the fate of Cossar did foretell,

And pitied Rome, when Rome in Caesar fell :

In iron clouds concealed tne public light,

And impious mortals found eternal night."

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316

Nt)w

LECTURES ON THE

we do not think.

, . setting aside the

>r T..n ^^^ l^eathens, and the dreams of
the MiUerites, that when Christ's second
coming shall take place, that the planetary
systems will be disturbed by that grand event.
Certauily, the fixed Bt^xs which resemble our
.-un, as the centre of their several systems,
wiil not be displaced ; nor do we think that
tlie planets, in onr own system, which, like
this earth, revolve around our sun, will be
thrown out^of their orbits. We see no reason
why they should be ; if man's guilt is con-
fined to this earth, why should Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupif.r, Saturn or Herschel, be'
destroyed, or even deranged, on that account ;
we find no necessity for it in the laws that
govern the heavenly bodies, so far as we know
them ; and are ive obliged, by the expression
'' the stars shall fall from heaven," to suppose
that these planets will be involved in the ruin
of our earth. This expression, like the fore-
going, is probably figurative, and will be
applied to the overthrow of some numerous
petty states or systems at the time of the
second Advent of Christ.

We shall quote a paragraph from a sensible,

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SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

317

and probably more correct, Advent writer,
upon this subject ; he says : " This expression
must mean either the agitation of the heavenly
bodies, or else commotions on the earth sym-
bolically represented. By a reference to
Isaiah xiii. 10, 11 ; xxxiv. 4; and xiii. 13 ;
Hagai ii. 21, — it will be seen that the dark-
ening, shaking, and dissolution of the heavenly
bodies are spoken of in connection with the
overthrow of kingdoms. The dissolution of
the celestial framework cannot be literally
interpreted, for the following reasons: 1. By
a reference to Jeremiah xxxi. 35, 36 ; Ps.
Ixxxix. 36, 37 ; and Ixxii. 7, — it will be seen
that the Lord speaks of the heavenly orbs as
indestructible; and the continuance of his
covenant with the seed of Israel is measured
by the duration of the sun and moon. 2.
The shaking of the powers is given as a sign
of the coming of Christ ; but if the sun, moon
and stars were to receive a vibratory or oscil-
lating motion, as the Greek word implies, it
would be a sign that all v^ould understand.
But the word assures us, that as in the days
of Noah, <they did eat, they drank, &c., until
the day that Noah entered the ark, and the

1 1'

3 IS

lEGTURES ON THE

l™. were "nappntd^'tjA-tf^^^^^^^^^^
actual presence of tl,» fl "^ngei, until the

them in o„» , °'"' overwhelmed

i-iit^iii in one ceneral vniii . „ j ,

tants of Sodofa i L" ' T '? '' '"'''''''-

the actual presenceTf ?h « "' ''''"^''' """'
,•„ .1 -.1 ''7®®"°e of the fire mvolved then,
in that dreadful catastrophe -so will fl
mass of mankind i,„ !' , " ^''' Sreat

insensate Tril to th^ """''^^^ ""'^
meut until ;r approacliing judg.

ment until the very presence of Him tvho I

that the expression is symbolical- * '

We shall conckide this mrt ..f ^,
with 1 ^tivr.v.^ P ^^^"^ subject

with a stirrmg paragraph from a Sermon bv
the Rev. Joseph Benson : ^

"^ Then,' as was represented to St John
'shall there be a o-ro'.t ^o .i . ^"'

and the moon shall become as blood and Ti
stars of heaven shall fait unto th elnhtv
as a fig tree casteth her untim. r ' ^^

• Quoted in Grand Crisis.

SECOND ADVEiNT OP CHRIST. 319

let US turn aside and see this great sight,
Let us stand still, and consider this solemn
scene here opened to our view ! By the help
of that faith, which is the evidence of things
not seen, let us contemplate the awful majesty
and terrible grandeur of this day, if our weak
senses can endure the dreadful glory of its
light, or our feeble faculties sustain the eiful-
gence of its overpowering brightness and
astonishmg terrors. Ah ! how must it sur-
prise and alarm the secure sinner, and how
must It strike all men with amazement and
awe, in the dead of night, to be suddenly
awakened out of the repose of their last sleep,
by the confused noise and deafening roar of
trumpets sounding, thunders grumbling, stars
rushing, elements melting, waves dashino-,the
sea tossing, and the earth quaking ! Ah, how
will the stoutest head fail for fear, and sink
with horrible dread, to hear the sudden crush
of worlds, and behold the wreck of universal
nature. How will the stubborn infidel, who
treated these discoveries as the inventions of
fancy, and the hardened sinner, who des^^ised
and neglected them ; ah! how will they start
from the slumbers of midnight, the bed of

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LECTURES ON THE

debauching pleasures, or the couch of rioting
and revelling excess, in wild affright and dis^
order, when they shall behold with their eyes,
and feel to their sorrow, what once they would
not believe, or wilfully forgot ! Now they
can believe and forget jio longer. The great
and terrible day of the Lord is arrived. * * *
The day is come that shall burn them up, and
leave them neither root nor branch."

Secondly, let us consider the actual appear-
ance Oif our blessed Redeemer. " When the
Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the
holy angels with him ; then shall he sit upon
the throne oY his glory."

Looking at the various passages which
speak of our Saviour's second coming, we are
prepared to say, it will be a literaL coming of
the Son of God.

At the ascension of Christ, the angels from
heaven said unto the gazing disciples, « this
mme Jesus, which is taken up from you into
heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen him go into heaven." — Acts. i. 2.
Again, we have the promise of Christ himself
to the Apostles, « If I go and prepare a place
iox you, I will come again, and receive you

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

321

nnto myself; that where I am, there ye may
be also."— John. xiv. 3 ; Now, if Christ's
departure was a literal departure, so will his
return be, for he is to come back in like man-
ner. Are we to suppose, by these words, that
^his human nature will appear on his return,
just as it did at his departure ? certainly not,
for his risen humanity had not then been glori-
fied ; but when he shall come again, it will be
in the glory of his Father,"—-" sitting on the
right hand of his power, and coming in the
Kjlouds of heaven,"—" and he shall sit upon
tl»e throne of his glory." Clad in the robe of
essential light, which he had worn from eter-
nity, « and in the glory of his Father," ab-
sorbing, in his own person, all power and of-
fice, invested by the paternal hand, with all
the insignia of supreme majesty, and girt with
the sword of ultimate justice, never till now
unsheathed, and crowned with the most
convincing signs, and glorious demonstrations
of paternal love, "and in the glory of his
holy angels;" all the bright inhabitants of
heaven, forsaking their sublime occupations,
and descending from their lofty seats—- ten
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands

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LECTURES ON THE

Of thousands shall encircle his throne, and
attend his coming. * We shall add the re-
presentation of him, made to St. John when
he saw " heaven opened, and, behold, a white
horse and he that sat upon him was called '
faithful and true. His eyes were as a flame of
fire, and on his head were many crowns, and
he had a name written which no man knew
but hunself, and he ivas clothed with a ves
ture dipped in blood, and his name is called
'the w^rd of God,' And out of his mouth
went a sharp two-edged sword, that Avith it
he might smite the nations, and he shall rule
them with a rod of iron, * * * ^j^^| i^^
hath on his vesture, and on his thi-h, a name
written, king of kings, and lord op lords '»
Subhme as this description is, how mucli more
will his actual appearance be transcendently
grand J ^^ and now what is all the fulsome
pride of human greatness, and the affected
pomp which decorates worms of the earth, ta
this inherent dignity and ineffkble majesty of
the glorious Redeemer ? Ah f how does this
refulgent Sun of righteousness, thus bcamin-
^f^^^;_J^^^^ eclipse all the
• Great Teacher. ~~~ :

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 323

borrowed brightness Of feeble mortals ! surely

ml fa JT"^""^ ''^'''^'^^' victorious gene!
ras famed conquerors, powerful emperors, and
m.ghty monarchs, which have ever dign tied
the annals of human history, and shon^ wi h

IZtf T''"" '" '''' r'-^^<'«- °f this

l-od of glory, when, at the morning of the

«^^l«st as the stars vonish before the rising
Sim. Ah! how will all the ' kin c, of the
earth ana the great men, and the ^:i:^,
and the ch.ef captains, and the mighty men '
be then ashamed of that vain gr^ndeC";
account of which they valued \emsei;e"
and confounded at their foolish and unreason-
ab e pr,de, while they xvho pierced him, and
neglected his great salvation, shall wail be-
cause of him."*

« v'^°'"^' '^'" ^""'^^ *"^°™« "^ (1 Thess. iv. 16 )
J^or the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with ; shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and ivith the trump of God »
Agnm, the Apostle says, he shall come « in

•^f^!!!^>flL_^^|^^ffiosej,articulars, men-

• Benson's Sermons! ~~ " ~ ' —

324

LECTURES ON THE

t^'oned by the sacred writers, are not points of
difieicnce between the Adventists and our-
selves, wc need not here enlarge.

From tvhence will Christ come? This is
easily answered ; when he left our world he
ascended up into heaven ; after he purged our
sins, he " sat down on the right hand of the
Majesty on High."— -Again it is said, « we
have such an high priest, who is set on the
right hand of the throne of the majesty in the
heavens." When he comes again, it is said,
" the Lord himself shall descend from hea-
ven." Thus shall the Saviour of the world
come from heaven, from the right hand of
power, in fulness of majesty, from the high-
est heavens, as a demonstration of his sanctity.

Where will Christ appear when he comes 1
If we listen exclusively to what the Miller-
ites say, we should be led to think his appear-
ance must take place on the continent of
America ; yes, in the village or neighbourliood
of Clarenceville. But where shall Clirisf ap-
pear ? if on earth at all, which we doubt, is
it not probable that we should look to the
country which gave birth to his humanity,—
the country which was the scene of his la-

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRtST. 325

faors,-to Calvary, where lie bowed his head
«nd gave up the ghost ! When he shall finally
overthrow his enenues, and save the " camp

not tiie finger of inspiration point us to Jeru-
salem as that city/and Judea as the ground
of encampment ?-Matt. xxiv. 37 : But, does
not the Bible give us reason to expect that
Christ, at his second coming to judge the
world will set his bow in the clouds, and
that those who are alive when he comes shall
be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord
in the air;"-l Thess. iv. 17. Dr. Clark says,
"pon that passage, " Jesus, in all the dignity
and splendor of his eternal majesty, shall de-
scend from heaven, to the mid-region, what
the Apostle calls the air, somewhere within the
eartWs atmosphere.^''

But who will be his attendants on that
grand and deeply solemn occasion ? our text
says, " and all the holy angels with him."
This circumstance is mentioned in several
parts of Scripture, and therefore it must not
be overlooked : Daniel says he "beheld thou-
sand thousands ministering unto him, and ten
thousand times ten thousand standing before

32G

LECTURES OS THE

liim." Wliat a glorious retinue lia\^e we
here ! how different from the twelve poor
fishermen who attended him in his days of
humiliation. But these holy angels will not
only accompany him as attendants upon his
person, to manifest his divine power and au-
thority, and to display his royal grandeur and
magnificence, but likewise as ministers of his
will, to execute his purposes of love to his
peopld, and of wrath to his enemies. These,
as harbingers of his glory, shall prepare the
way before him, and make ready for the ap-
pearance of the universal judge! "I saw,"
(says the Apostle John) <* a mighty angel
come down from heaven, clothed with a
cloud, and a rainbow about his head, and his
face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of
fire, and he set his right foot upon the sea,
and his left foot upon the earth, and cried
with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth ; and
when he had cried, seven thunders uttered
their voices. And he lifted up his hand to
heaven, and sware by Him that liveth forever
and ever, who created heaven and earth and
the sea, that there should be time no longer."
And now he sends these <^ his angels, with a

..-

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 327

great sound of a trumpet, and they gather to-
gether his elect from one end of heaven to the
other," " gather them as wheat into his gar-
ner." So likewise shall they be the minis-
ters of his vengeance to the wicked, whom
they shall gather together like tares and " bind
them in bundles to burn them." Yes, at the
end of the world, « the Son of Man sliall send
forth his angels, and they shall gather out of
liis kingdom all things that offend, and them
who do iniquity, and cast them into a furnace
of fire, there shall be weeping and wailing
arid gnashing of teeth."

It IS also stated in a few passages of Scrip-
ture, that ^^ saints'' also shall attend the Sa-
viour, when he comes the second time ; we
shall quote the passages where they are so
noticed. 1 Thess. iii. 13 : " To the end he
may establish your hearts unblameable in ho-
liness before God, even our Father, at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, ivith all his
saints:' Now, this passage does not appear
to our minds clearly to shew that the saints
shall accompany Christ when he comes ; read
the words, " at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ" as in a parenthesis, then, connecting

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LECTURES ON THE

I I

the words " witli all the saints" with the pre-
ceding part, and ycii have probably the Apos-
tle's meaning, as follows; « to the end he
may establish your hearts iinblameable in ho-
liness before God, with all the saints." The
meaning of which is, the Apostle prayed that
the church in Thessalonica might be unblame-
able m holiness with all the saints, at the
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." The next
passage is 1 Thess. iv. 14 : « For if we be-
lieve that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them also which sleep in Jesus will God brin<r
tvzth himP Now, if this passage means that
when Jesus comes again he will bring the
saints along with him, it must mean the souls
of those believers who have departed this life,
and who have been with Jesus in paradise, or
heaven, that these souls of the saints will
come to re-unite with their bodies which have
risen from the dead.

The next passage is in the epistle of Jude
ver. H : « And Enoch also, the seventh from'
Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold
tUe Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saintsJ^^ "^

I believe these are the only places in scrip-

SECJND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

329

le pre-
Apos-
nd he
in ho-
The
d that
»lame-
Lt the
3 next
'e be-
\ren so
bring
s that
g the
souls
s life,
se, or
will
have

rude,
from

^lOld

^ his
crip-

ture virhere the attendance of saints with
Christ at his second coming is mentioned ;
and if, as these passages appear to teach, the
saints shall come with their Saviour, it can
only refer to those who have died in the Lord
and are at home with him in heaven, till his
return ; and, when thai, event occurs, they
will come to be re-united with their risen and
now spiritual body, that their eternal happi-
ness may be consummated.

But for what object shall Christ come the
second time ? To wind up the affairs of this
world,— to add the last page to man's history
as a probationer upon earth,— to judge the
world,— reward his people and punish his
enemies. See 2 Tim. iv. 1. « The Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and
the dead at his appearing." He will come
to separate the righteous from the wicked ; to
the one he will say, « Come, ye blessed of
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for
you ;" to the other he will say, « Depart from
me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared
for the devil and his angels." "He shall be
seen as he is, by every saint of God— and that
we shall hail his Advent as the extinction of

,: ■! "

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330

LECTURES ON THE

the cnrse, the end of all sorrow and suffering,
of all night, the destruction of all death, and
the dawn of a glory that shall never be
eclipsed, and the first tone of a music that
shall never be interrupted by discord." *

We shall conclude this lecture with another
quotation from Benson's Sermons, vol. i. n
93, 94. : ^ *

" ' Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, sound an
alarm in the holy mountain j let all the inha-
bitants of the land tremble: for the day of
the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand ; a
day of darkness and gloominess, a day of
clouds and of thick darkness!' Jesus des-
cends with his holy angels ; ' a fire devoureth
before them, and behind them a flame burn-
eth.' See, ye blind, the victorious blaze of
irresistible and all-conquering fire ! It rends
the rocks, consumes the forests, melts down
the mountains, lays cities, yea, whole king-
doms, in ashes, and envelopes the whole earth !
Behold, it rises, swells, spreads, and over-
whelms all with an universal deluge ; while,
in the mean time.

Black rising clouds the thicken'd ether choke,

• Cumming. ^ '

k ■''^.

»ri»jCEffir«««'>»-K.-.. -feuaws^aasPsigSSBi^BiSiSwa^agBli^^

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

331

ifTering,
ith, and
;ver be
?ic that

mother
'1. i. p.

Lind an
e inha-
day of
\ndj a
day of
IS des-
oureth
burn-
az8 of
rends
down
king-
earth !
over-
iVhile,

And spiry flames shoot through the rolling smoke,
• With keen vibrations cut the sullen night,
And streak the darkeu'd sky with dreadfu'l light I

" Hear, ye deaf, the re-bellowing growl and
aggravated roar of hoarse-muttering thunder,
the miglity voice of the great archangel, £fnd
the all-alarming trump of God ! Feel, ye
stout-hearted, the earth quaking and opening,
the mountains trembling and removing, the
hills reeling and sinking, the valleys heaving
and rising! Feel, or be for ever hardened,
the shock of conflicting elements, and the
dash of ruined worlds. Awake, awake ! ye
sleepy sinners ! shake off your fatal slumbers !
Arise from the bed of sloth, and the lap of
enchanting plesisures ! Haste, haste, and flee
for shelter from this day of wrath and unre-
lenting fury. If you delay till this day over-
take you, then, alas! whither can yon fieel
The earth quakes, trembles, and opens under
your feet; the storm of divine vengeance
lowers and bursts upon your guilty heads;
and ruin and perdition surround you on every
hand ! The frowning j udge, w^hose just indig-
nation you have provoked,and whose almighty
wrath your sins have kindled, fixes his pierc-

II i

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332

LECTURES.

ing eye upon you, and marks you out as the
butt at which he will shoot his fiery arrows,
and direct the thunderbolts of his everlasting
indignation. And now it is vain to cry to
the rocks and mountains to fall upon you and
hide you ; the rocks and mountains rend and
cleave asunder, yea, flee away, and leave you
destitute and forsaken, exposed to all the
artillery of omnipotent fury, and in the midst
of dark and fiery torment. * • * O that
mdn would watch and pray always, that they
might escape those things which are coming
upon the earth, and stand before the Son of
Man with joy, and not with grief."

i It

LECTURE XI.
THE GENERAL JUDGMENT.

2 Cor. v. 10.

^^For we must all appear be/ore the judgment seat of
Christ : that every one may receive the things done in his
body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good
or badj^

The account we have of the origin and early
history of man, shows that he was placed
under the government of God ; the laws he
was to observe were few and simple, just
enough to test his allegiance and fidelity to
his sovereign. The punishment threatened
was sufficiently ample and severe to deter man
from disobedience ; yet, notwithstanding this,
man rebelled,— man fell, — man was punish-
ed.— This placed him in a different relation to
the Divine Being from what he was in when
first created ; he was unable to return to his
first state, and he must now be dealt with, and
provided for, as a fallen creature.

God, in the greatness of his mercy, not will-

f>.

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334

LECTURES ON THE

ing that he should perish everlastingly, enter-
ed into a new covenant with him. The first
was a covenant o£ ivorks^^ he had nothing to
do but to obey. But, now that he has fallen,
obedience, in all the perfection which the law
required, was impossible; the corrupt tree.
coLdd only bear corrupt fruit ; hence the se-
cond covenant must be one, not of works, but
of grace. An atonement was provided for sin,
and an that sacrifice, which was promised
man must now implicitly confide'^ he is to be
saved by grace thxowgh faith, and that not of
himself— it is the gift of God ; not of works,
lest any man should boast. Yet this cove-
nant also required such ofmllcnce to the new
law, given to fallen man, as he is enabled to
render. He is to love the Saviour and keep
his commandments.

Now, it must be admitted, that if the first
covenant with Adam had its reward or pun-
isliment, according as man might act. "hen
the new covenant, which is an effort o the
part of God to save man, must also have its
rewards and retribution. But the prospect of a
judgment does not rest upon mere conjecture ;
ibr the strongest reasons can be furnished to

Ww-w*

*■-"' ■ '"^rifTu.

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

335

show that we " must all appear before the judg-
ment neat of Christ,'''^

Look to man himself; let him do what he
believes is wrong, and conscience not only
upbraids him, but fear of punishment, in some
way or other, disquiets his soul. Conscience
becomes bis accuser ^ not h.\^ judge ; a witness
for or against him.

Again, if we consider that God has made
us, supported us, and redeemed us, we may
well infer that he has a right to rui^ us.
And if he has a right to rule us, he must, of
necessity, have a right to reward the obe-
dient and punish the disobedient ; and to dis-
tinguish between them must be an investiga-
tion, or a judgment of each case.

But the certainty of a future judgment is
based upon the ivord of God, where it is often
mentioned, and used as a great motive to se-
cure obedience towards God, " It is appointed
unto men once to die, but after this the judg-
ment."— Heb. ix. 27. There is a death to
follow life, and a judgment to follow death,
and the one is as certain as the i^her.

But we suppose that this assembly admits,

as an incontrovertible truth, that God " has

336

LECTURES ON THE

appointed a day in the which he will judge
the world in righteousness ;" and, therefore,
further proofs of its certainty are needless.

The judgment of the great day does not
take place to each individual immediately after
death, as soon as we enter the spirit world ;
for, if it did, then that judgment must have'
been in progress ever since the death of Abel.
The various statements in scripture, which
spesk of that great event, point us to the time
when the dead shall be raised, and Christ
shall come the second time. There is not a
particular judgment immediately after death,
and anot]«er at the end of the world ; but one
general judgment for all. We shall call your
attention —

First, to the Judge himself. Our text says,
"we must all appear before the judgment seat
of Christ:^

If we consider the multitudes to be judged,
the conduct of each which has to be exam-
ined, and that many of these things were
done thousands of years before the individuals
have been called to account,— then we must
be convinced that none but God is equal to a
work of such magnitude ; besides, none has

11)11-

SECOND ADVENT OF CflKlST.

a right to judge tlie servants of God but 1
self, — tlie law by which we are to be judged
was given by him, and the persons to be tried
are his subjects— whether, therefore, we con-
sider the ahility required or the mitlimity for
it, God only can be the judge. The Father
is God,--the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost
is God. And this fulness of the Godhead,
which dwelt in Christ, will appear to judge
the world in the person of the Saviour. Thus
it will be God who judges by Christ the Son ;
and this appointment is undoubtedly the best,
considering his affinity to our nature, his ex-
perience of our infirmities, and his appear-
ance to our eyes when he judges. This will
be a source of happiness to believers, for in the
person of their Judge they will recognise their
Redeemer. It will give an additional value to
the crown of life, that it will be bestowed by
the hand of Christ : that the very Being who
died for them, and justified them, and sanc-
tified them, and who inspired them with their
brightest hopes, has now come to collect them
around him, to wipe away all their tears, and
thus to fulfil their joy. And if it be right
that his enemies should be vanquished, it is

.'!t

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33S

LECTUFIES ON THE

I>roper tliat unbelievers should be coudemueJ,
there a])pears a peculiar propriety that, both
for their greater conviction, and his greater
exaltation, the sentence of condemnation
should be pronounced by him. And, Oh!
what an enhancement of their doom will this
single circumstance produce. When sinners
shall draw near, and be compelled to look on
him whom they have pierced, the confusion
will be complete. When they shall behold
him invested in the robe of humanity, that
single sight will flash on them the recollect-
tion of all that Jesus did, in that nature, to
redeem them ;— the incarnation, the bloody
sweat, the cross, the pierced side— all will
appear to view, and penetrate them with an
agonizing sense of their ingratitude and
guilt.*

But, while we think of Christ as the judge,
let us look at some of those qualities which
he possesses for that all important office.

First, his supreme maje&tAj, The office and

dignity of the Son of Man is often declared

by figurative and parabolical descriptions.

Speaking of his coming to judge the world,

• John V. 22, Matt. xvi. 27 ; Acts. x. 42.

lii

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SKCO.VU ADVENT OF CHRIST.

339

It is said : " His fan is in his hand, and he
will throughly purge his floor, and gather his
wheat into the garner, but he will burn up
the chaff with unquenchable fire."— Matt,
ni. 12. He has further six)ken of himself as
a husbandman, who will say to his reapers in
the time of harvest, « Gather ye together first
the t^res, and bind them in bundles to burn
them, but gather the wheat into my barn."
He represented himself under the notion of
a fisherman, " casting a net into the sea, and
gathering of every kind ; which, when it was
full, he drew to the shore, and sat down and
gathered the good into vessels, but cast the
bad away."— Matt. xiii. 47, 48. He speaks
of himself as a shepherd separating the sheep
from the goats, and setting the sheep on hi 3
right hand, but the goats on his left. These
representations, it is true, are borrowed from
the lowly walks of human life ; but we must
remember it was Christ tvho spake thus of
himself and his ofiice, as the great judge and
final disposer of all ; and it was in perfect
keeping with the character of him who made
himself of no reputation, but took upon him-
self the form of a servant. But let others—

k4^

340

LK(:rLKi:.s o,\ the

men iiisjjired uf God— leler to his closing
work with the inhabitants oi' this earth, and
with what lofly language and royal dignity
do they represent him : '' We must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ;" (text)
"The Lord himself shall descend from hea-
ven with a shout, with the voice of the arch-
angel, and with the trump of God"— 1 Tliess.
iv. 16. " The Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels in flam-
ing fire"— 2 Thess. i. 7. <' Looking for that
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ"
—Titus ii. 13; 2 Tim. 1, 10. "Behold the
Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints"
— Jude 14. « And I saw a great white throne,
and him that sat on it, from whose face the
earth and the heaven fled away, and there
was found no place for them. And I saw
the dead, small and great, stand before God,
and the books were opened, and the dead
were judged out of those things which were
written in the books" — Rev. xx. 11, 12.
Thus, you see, the returning Saviour will
occupy a throne, a great white throne, a throne
before which kings and emperors themselves

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

34.1

must bow, and acknowledge Christ ^^ King of
kings, and Lord of lords."

Secondly, consider the authority of Christ
to judge the world. Even the meek and
lowly Jesus could not forbear saying to his
disciples, " All power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth" — Matt, xxviii. 18.
" The Father judgetli no man, but hath com-
mitted all judgment unto the Son ; that all
mtn should honor the Son, even as they
honor the Father"— John v. 22, 23. The
authority of Christ to judge is given to him
by the divine and eternal Being ; and that
authority is manifest in his summoning all
creatures to appear before him, and in the
honor which the accompanying angels pay
him, by their perfect obedience to his com-
mands.

His ahility for this great work is also strik-
ingly manifest, whether we consider his deity,
or review his life. While a man of sorrows
with what consummate skill did he detect
and expose the hypocrisies of the Pharisees
and Sadducees when they tempted him, or
thouglit to entangle him in his words. With
what acouraey did he direct Peter to the

P ^iJ

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342

■i, -k.

LECTURES ON THE

fish With the money in its mouth, while it
was yet free in its watery element ! With
what circumstantial correctness did he fore-
tell the seige and destruction of Jerusalem,
while h]s disciples admired the size of the
stones and the strength of the buildings, as if
tliey could never be destroyed. But when we
remember that he is God, bod in the highest
sense of the term, possessing infinite laiow-
iedgfe— that he knows every person that^Jias
at any time occupied a place on this earth,-
that he is acquainted with their whole char-
acter, circumstances, and prGceedings,-in
short, that he scarcheth the reins and hearts •
and " known unto him are all things from the
beginning." That he never has erred, and
never can err. That his judgment or opinion
of every one is inflexible-that it cannot be
deceived by professions or appeamnces, but
It is correct in every case, and. in every
particular. ^

mspourr to execute Ids sentence is another
feature m Christ as the judge.

Christ is represented as^'king as well as
judge : « then shall the king say unto them,
come, ye blessed of. my father." ikc. As'

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 343

king, then, iie holds in his hands the power of
life or death ; but if we remember his vast
resources, which he can command in such a
way that every creature will then be under
perfect subjection to him-none can resist his
will; and all the agencies and elements in
existence are but so many instruments in
carrying out his purposes. Such, then, are a
few of the qualifications of Christ ns supreme
judge ; and even this imperfect glance may
well lead us to exclaim, " shall not the judge
of all the earth do right !"

We shall now refer you to the perso-ts to
be judged. " We must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ," says the Apostie.

When St. raul says '^ tver he does not
mean simply Apostles, or believers in Christ,
as he sometimes does elsewhere in Scripture,'
but he means all classes and conditions of
men, righteous and wicked, the dead and the
living.

When we consider that our earth is a sphere,
and that man is found in every latitude and
longitude, we perceive, that when Christ
comes to judge, there must be a gathering of
the people together. For this purpo.-e, ""the

3'U

LECTURES ON THE

sound of a trumpet is heard : it is the voice of
the Judge calling for the sleeping dead,—
calling with a voice which is instantly heard,
understood and obeyed : they that are in their
graves come forth. Again it sounds ; and
unnumbered angels, true to the signal, dis-
perse over the four quarters of the earth, and
collect the whole human family into the area
of the great tribunal."*

The Scriptures, speaking of those who are
to be judged, sometimes mention them collect-
wely, we must " «//" appear j before him
shall be gathered " all nations^ " The hour
is coming, in the which all that ore in the
graves, shall hear his voice, and shall come
forth." " He hath appointed a day, in the
which he will judge the worhV' Sometimes
the Scriptures speak of them distnbutively :
« he shall reward every man according to his
works." " So then, every one of us shall give
account of himself to God." " We must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ
that eve?-y one may receive the things done i^i
his body." But the Scriptures also cla^dfu
tji^persons to bejiidged, the bad and the
. • Great Teache r. ~ ~~ ~^

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

345

good,~t\ie quick and tlie dead. One classifi-
cation refers to the mere circumstance of their
being dead or alive, when Christ comes ; an-
other refers to their moral character, righteous
and wicked. We shall dwell briefly upon
these two classes : —

First, then, the class to whom the circum-
stance of life or death is applied : St. Paul
said unto Timothy: "I charge thee, there-
fore, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
who shall judge the quick and the dead at his
appearing and his kingdom."— 2 Tim. iv. 1.

This passage not only mentions the classes
to be judged, of which we shall speak below,
but also of the time -whew the judgment shall
take place, viz. : at the " appearing'''^ of our
Lord Jesus Christ, when he shall come to
take his people home to '' inherit the king-
dom prepared for them." Again, St. Peter
says : " who shall give account to him that is
ready to judge the quick and the deadP

As the Scriptures make use of the words
quick and dead, in different ways, it may here
be desirable to state their meaning, as used
by these Apostles in the pussages quoted.
Bishop Pearson says: "because after death

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346

LECTURES ON THE

the soul doth live, and the body only remain-
eth dead ; therefore, some have understood
the souls of luen by the quick, and tlieir bo-
dies by the dead: and then the meaning will
be this, that Christ shall come to judge im-
mediately upon the resurrection, when the
souls which were preserved alive, shall be
joined to the bodies which were once dead ;
and so men shall be judged entirely, both in'
body and soul, for oil those actions which the
soul committed in the body. * * * » ]\Tq^^,
though this be a truth. * * *^ Yet this is not
to be acknowledged as the interpretation of
this Article." The distinction in the passages
is not one of the parts of man, but of the
persons of men.

" Again, because the Scripture often men-
tioneth a death in trespasses and sin, and a
living unto righteousness, others have con-
ceived by the quick to be understood the^^^s^,
and by the dead the unjust : so that Christ
shall judge the quick, that is, the just, by a
sentence of absolution ; and the dead, that is,
the unjust, by a sentence of condemnation.-^'
Though it be true, that Christ shall judge
them both, yet it is not probable, that in this

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

347

particular, they should be taken in a figura-
tive or metaphorical sense, • * • because the
literal sense allordeth a fiiir explication.

" By the chad, are understood all those who
ever died before the time of Christ's coming
to judgment ; and by the cfiick such as shuil
be then alive : so that the quick and the dead,
literally taken, are considered in relation to
the time of Christ's coming ; at which time
there shall be a generation living upon the
face of the earth, and before which time all
the generations passed since the creation of
the world shall be numbered among the dead.
* * * That Christ shall come to judge, not
only those which shall be alive upon the earth
at his appearing, but also all such as have lived
and died before. M one shall be judged while
they are dead ; whosoever standeth before the
judgment seat shall appear alive ; but those
which never died shall be judged as they were
alive. He shall judge, therefore, the quick,
that IS, those which shall be then alive when
he cometh ; and he shall judge the dead, that
IS, those which at the same time shall be raised
from the dead."*

!i,i

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* Exposition of the Creed.

54.8

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LECTURES ON THE

The second classification has respect to their
«W chiraaer. It is said, « When the Son
of Man shall come in his glory, and all the
holy angels with him, then shall he sit npon
the throne of his glory, and before him shall
be gathered all nations ; and he shall separate
them one from another, as a shepherd divideth
US sheep from the goats; and he shall set
he sheep on his right hand, but the goats on
the lefa" Thus " they that have done good
and they that have done evil," will be the
distinction observable at that time.

Among the wicked, there is a great diver-
sity m the sais that most easily beset them,
and, in the extent to which they have gone
some are only "slothful servants," who have'
buned their talents ; and others who have
s"d, "this is the heir, come let us kill him
and the inheritance shall be ours." But what-
ever gradations there may be in 'he wicked
they must all appear before the judgment seat
oi Christ. The secresy of some sins, and the
revolting character of others, will be no reason
why, m the one case, the hidden thino-s of
darkness should not be brought to light, and in
the other the shocking scenes fully developed.

SrcOND ADVENT OK (IIHI.ST. 349

The righteous, t„o, will be there, with all
he. aihngs and faults; with all then- errors

Zt It '"""i^' ^"'^ '^^ *^^« t° hear Christ
say, Corne, ye blessed of my Father ;" yes

«^ey will hear it, ia despite of their former
doubts and fears, their misgivings and apn e
hensions ; they will occupy the mansionXea,
the crown sway the sceptre, range the swe t
plains and ascribe their salvation unto him

that sitteth upon the throne, and unto th^
■Lamb for ever and ever.

t«k?'/"' w"* °^ ^'^^ "Shteous will not
take p ace before the wicked are raised as
«ome theorists would have us believe , there
will be no long lapse of time between he rl!
surrection of the just and of the unj„st,-!„or
throtr *'^^Jf Sment of the one c/ass Ind o
the other. The resurrection will be simulta-
neous and the judgment will proceed with
both characters at the same time ; and as one
« proved to be a " sheep," he will be placed
at the right, and as another is found to be a
goat," he will be landed to the left,-until
the entire flock of the human race is separated,
i hus he judgment will be universal ; every
one of the human race will be there, without

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350

LECTURES ON THE

exception, wliatever may have been onr char-
acter, sex, age, or circumstances of life. If
it were otherwise—" if only one of all the
generations of mankind were absent, the
whole universe would have a right to com-
plain of injustice. All will be present.
You will be present. However
loath to leave the darkness of the grave,
you must come forth. However eager to
remain in the dominions of death, "death
must deliver you up. However loud your
entreaties to the rocks to fall on you, and to
the hills to cover you, they will refuse to afford
you a refnge. * * * The darkness will
reject you— the night will become light about
you. So absolutely essential will be the j^-e-
sence of every human being, that if you
alone were absent, the solemn proceedings
would wait, the judgment would stop, for
your appearance.

" Were any allowed to absent themselves
from that tribunal, the hearers of the Gospel
certainly would not ; they form the most im-
portant class which will be there arraigned.
The impenitent hearer of the Gospel wtll be
there, and the crimson aggravation of his

^^^^^fvj

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 351

guilt will be laid open, the attention of the
congregated world shall become more breath-
less and intense, and when his doom shall be
pronounced, the voice of the righteous Judge
shall take, if possible, a deeper tone, and
speak with a more awful emphasis, as he ut-
ters the sentence, " Depart from me, I never
knew you."*

Thus "every one shall give account of him-
self to God."

We come, thirdly, to direct your attention
to the CHARACTER of the judgment: —

1st. It will be p2ihlic. Those portions of
the ins^>ired word, already quoted, and others,
are quite clear upon this point ; they refer to
the presence of incalculable numbers. The
triune Gody the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
—countless myriads of angels, as attendants,
messengers, and agents, to execute his will,— .
the human family, a vast concourse of every
age since the creation of the world, and of
every nation under heaven. Yea, " and the
sea will give up her dead which are in it j
and death and hell deliver up the dead which
are in them ; that they may be judged every
* Great Teacher.

352

LECTURES ON THE

man according to his works."— .Rev. xx 13
Probably Satan and all the angels who kept
not their first estate, whom *' he hath reserved
111 everlasting chains under darkness unto the
judgment of the great day."— Jude 6. Thus
a multitude which no man can number, ga-
thered out of every nation, kindred, and peo-
ple, of this globe, with all that are in heaven,
and all that are in hell ; such a number of
beings as probably never assembled before
^ and may never assemble again. And before
' this immense concourse, the judgment will
take place, the books will be opened, and the
dead will be judged out of those things which
were written in the books, according t . their
works-Rev. XX. 12. By this publicity, "piety
will be most honored, sin most abashed, and
the government of God vindicated and glori-
fied on the largest scale. What a profound
impression will it produce of the holy char-
acter of God, and of the infinite enormity of
sin. When his people are crowned, he would
not have one of their enemies absent j and
when the ungodly are doomed, he would not
have one of the righteous absent. He would
have them depart to their respective allot-

w^^^j^

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

353

ga-

ments, bearing, away with them impressions
of the hatefulness of sin, and the beauty of
holiness, which shall remain imeifaced through
all the scenes of eternity." *

The judgment will be minute and exact m
all its investigations. " For God shall bring
every work into judgment, with every secret
thing, whether it be good, or whether it be
evil."— Eccle. xii. 14. Christ, in his own
prerogative, informs us " that every idle word
that men shall speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment."— Matt. xii.
36. Here is information enough for us — the
wise man and the Saviour both asserting, the
one by inspiration, the other by his own autho-
rity, that whatever we think, feel, desire,
purpose, speak or do, will furnish subject
matter for investigation in the great day of
accounts. The great assize " will not be for
sins of recent commission merely ; sins com-
mitted thousands of years before will be
reproduced and examined, with all their cir-
cumstances of aggravation, as if they had
been only just committed. Let a single deed,
let a single thought, the most inconsequent
* Great Teacher.

r I f

irl

354

LECTURES ON THE

i ffii^l:

and unproductive that ever passed through
the mind, be omitted, and, if that thought pos-
sessed a moral quality, the universe would be
justified m protesting against the omission.
Bnt nothing shall be overlooked, nothing made
light of; the slightest voluntary exercise of
the soul, the very dust of the balances shall
be taken into the account. The two mites—
the cup of cold water— the jirison visit— the
pious wish, on the one hand, and the omitted
kindness, the idle word, the unchaste look,
the thought of evil, the deed of darkness, on
the other,— shall all be brought into the opeh
court. * * * Nothing is insignificant on
which Sin has breathed the breath of hell f
every thing is important on which holiness
has impressed itself in the faintest characters.
And, accordingly, < there is nothing covered,
that shall not be revealed ; and hid^ that shall
not be known.'" *

But there is reason to believe that we shall
be judged, not only for what we are, and for
what we have done, but also for what we
might have become, and for tvhat we might have
done, if we had used and improved the of)por-
* Great Teacher.

;h rough
^ht pos-
oiild be
lission.
g' made
cise of
s shall
iiites —
it— the
mitted
3 look,
3SS, on
3 opeh
lilt on
: hell f
Dliness
meters,
vered,
t shall

! shall
id for
it we
t have
)f)por-

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 355

tunities and abilities with which we ^vero
favored; the slothful servant, who hid his
lord\s money, was not pniiished for dcstroyino-
or even injm-ing the talent-nay, he had taken
care of it, wrapt in a napkin, and hidden it
for security against thieves,- ;at ho was pun-
ished for slothfulness, for not improving the
talent, for not increasing the sum committed
to him. Again, Christ says, « he that believeth
not IS condemned already, because he hath
not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God. And this is the condemnation,
that light IS come into the world, and men
loved darknes J rather than light, because their
deeds were evil."— John iii. 18, 19. By
neglecting to believe on the Son of God,
hearers of the gospel become guilty of the'
grossest insult to the divine majesty, in ne-
glectmg, slighting, and despising, the salvation
which the infinite mercy of God had provided
for them. Thus men will be judged for
neglecting this great salvation, and condemned
for not having it, as well as for their other
sins.

Thirdly: The judgment will h^impartiaL
Men will be judged according to those laws

356

LECTURES ON THE

of God, with which they were acquainted; for
GocFs laws by which he would .govern man-
kind, are not equally known to all, the wull of
God was gradually revealed to our race, the
light shining more and more in each succeed-
ing dispensation, till the perfect day of Chris-
tianity arrived ; and even under this dispen-
sation, multitudes of our fellow men have
never heard of Christ as the Saviour, nor the
Bible as the rule of faith and practice ; but
those who have had nothing more than the
law faithfully written on their hearts, and
very imperfectly transmitted from one gene-
ration to another, w^U only be judged accord-
ing to the talent entrusted to them ; while
those of us who have lived in heaven's bright-
est sunshine of Gospel light, will be judged
according to the law of God's revealed will
in the Bible.

This we have had, and by it we shall be
judged ; and it will be no mitigatio:: of our
state, that we did not understand our Bible
better, or the way of salvation more clearly ;
for we might have learnt them more perfect-
ly, if we had applied ourselves to them.—
** That servant w^hich knew his lord's will,

ted ; for
n man-
will of
ice, the
icceed-
^ Chris-
Jispen-
L have
lor the
e ; but
an the
s, and
gene-
Lccord-
while
jright-
judged
;d will

all be
of our

Bible
early ;
?rfect-
5m. —

will,

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 357

and prepared not himself, neither did accord-
ing to his will, shall be beaten with many
stripes: But he that knew not, and did com-
nut things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten
Witn few stripes : For unto whomsoever much
IS given, of him shall much be required "— .
Luke xii. 47-48. Faith, love, and obedience,
are the thmgs particularly required of us •
and If any oi these are wanting, whatever
may have been our professions, the vessel will
be marred, the serviint will be unprofitable,
and he will justly be cast into outer darkness
The Lord will judge the world in righteous^
ness. « He will render to every man accord
mg to his deeds. To them, who, by patient
continuance in well doing * * * eternal lije.
But unto them that are contentious, and do
not obey the truth » * * indignation and
wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every
soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first
and also of the Gentile. But glory, honour^
and peace to every man that worketh good,
to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile : For
there is no respect of persons with God. For
OS many as have sinned without law, shall
also perish without law : and as many as have

358

LECTURES ON THE

sinned in the law, shall be judged by the
]aw.*'--Rom. ii. 6-12.

The senteijce of the Judge will be final
and irreversible, for it takes place at the end
of the world, and it is also the decision ^i a
jimge who is king, the highest authority, so
that when he says, - Come, ye blessed of my
leather, inherit the kmgdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world ;" or, ^' De-
part from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his an gels," —then
these sentences shall be immediately carried
into execution, for the wicked shall go away
into everlasting punishment j but the right-
eous into life eternal."— Matt. xxv. 34, 41^46.
In conclusion, we observe that there 'are
yet persons who are unwilling to believe in a
day of judgment, and they are ready to say,
where is the promise of his coming ? and be-
cause of their disbelief, or affected disbelief,
they rush into sin, and thereby fulfil the words
of Solomon, " Because sentence against an
evil w^ork is not executed speedily, therefore
the heart of the sons of men is fully set in
them to do evil."— Eccle. viii. 11. We will
conclude this lecture with a quotation from

SECOND ADVfiNT OF CHRIST. 359

Boston : " Be exhorted to believe this great
truth ; and believe it so, that you may pre-
pare for the judgment betimes. Set up a
secret tribunal in your own breasts, and often
call yourselves to au account there. Make
the judge your friend in time, by closing with
him in the offer of the Gospel ; and s:\ve all
diligence, that you may be found in Christ at
that day. Cast off the ivorks of darkness ;
and live, as believing you are, at all times,
and mull places^ under the eye of your judge,
who will bring every work into judgment!
with every secret thing ! Be fruitful in good
works, knowing, that as you sow, you shall
reap. Study piety towards God, righteous-
ness and charity towards men. Lay up iti
store plenty of works of charity and mercy
towards those who are in distress, espe-
cially such as are of the household of faith ;
that they may be produced, in that dav, as
evidences that you belong to Christ. Shut
not up your bowels of mercy now towards
the needy, lest you then find no mercy.—
Take heed, that in all your works you be
single and sincere ; aiming, in them all,
at the glory of your Lord, a testimony of

!-'

360

LECTURES ON THE

your love to him, and in obedience to his
command. Leave it to hypocrites, who have
their reward, to proclaim every man his own
goodness ; and to sound a trumpet wiien they
do their alms. It is a bnse and unchristian
spirit wiiich cannot have satisfaction in « good
work unless it be exposed to tlie view of oth-
ers : it is utterly unworthy of one who believes
that the last trumpet shall call together the
whole world, before whom the judge himself
shall publish works truly good, how secretly
soever they wore done. Live in a believing
expectation of the coming of the Lord. Let
your loins be always girt, and your lamps
burning; so when he comes, whether in the
last day of your life, or in the last day of the
world, ye shall be able to say with joy, < Lo,
this is our God, w^e have w^aited fur him.'" *

•Fourfold State.

SttCONU ADVENT ul' ClllUVr.

3Gt

LECTURE XII.
THE CONFLAGRATIOxV.

2 Pet. ili. 10.

'''But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a
great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat
the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be
burned up."

Those parts of the scripture which refer to
the burning of our world, are so explicit, that
we might suppose they could not be misun-
derstood, or misapplied, but such is the obli-
quity of the human mind, that every object
appears to be of the same color as the me-
dium is through which we look at it; for
instance, if we look at the sun through a
piece of gi-een glass, the sun appears green ; if
we look at a piece of white cloth through a
red glass, the white cloth appears red . And in
this way a flilse color and wrong application
has been given to the passages alluded to,

f-l

3G\l

M:CTLKE<i ON THE

men having looked at tUom through the nie-
clium of their own creed. ^ Take, for instauee,
verse 7, of this chapter : "But tlie heavens
and the earth, which are now, by the same
word, are kept in store, reserved unto fire
against the day of judgment and perdition of
tcngodly me.i:' This passage which so clearly
refers to the final conflagration, has been un-
der§»tood by Hammond, " as a prediction of the
destruction of Jerusalem," and in support of
this interpretation, he appeals to the ancient
Jewish i)rophecies, where, as he contends, the
revohitions in the political state of empires
and nations are Ibretold in the same forms of
expression with those introduced in Peter's
prediction. But in the passages which are
l)roduccd from the writings of the prophets,
it is remarkalile that in these prophecies, none
of the prophets have spoken, as Peter has
done of the entire destruction of this mun-
dane system, nor of the destruction of any
part tliereof They mention only thf5 ^< rolling
of the heavens together as a scroll ; the ob-
scuring of the light of the sun and the moon ;
the shaking of the heavens and of the earth j
and the falling down of the stars j" whereas

SECOND ADVL.VT OF CllUIsr.

263

I St. Peter speaks of the conllagratioii uf every

part of this earth and atmosphere by fire.—
This diflerence affords room for bJheviiig,
that the events foretold by the prophets ar''e
different in their nature from those foretold
by the Apostle ; and that they are to be un-
derstood j^o^m^^W?/, while those predicted by
the Apostle, are to be understood literally,—
Besides, the prophetic language literally in-
I terpreted, exhibits imjwssihllities, such as roll-

ing the heavens together as a scroll, the turn-
ing of the moon into blood. But the lan-
guage of the Apostle admits of a literal inter-
pretation, the "burning of the heavens" or
• atmosphere, and its "passing away with a
great noise," " the burning of the earth and
the works therein." Now, all this is possi-
ble, and may be literally understood. But
this is not all. The Apostle begins with an
account of- the deluge which was literally
done, and then glides into the next great and
somewhat similar event, the burning of the
earth ; thereby signifying that the one as well
as the other, is to be literally understood.*
Let us now step aside, and see this wonder-

I f I

3ii4>

Ll!:CTUREs o\ riiE

fill sight, as it is represented in Scripture, and
understood by us.

First: As it appears in the heavens ; they
" shall pass away with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat."— -
Again the Apostle says, (ver. 12,) "the hea-
vens being on fire shall be dissolved."

What are we to understand by the word
" HEAVENS" in these passages ? In the Scrip-
tures, we discover that this word has several
different applications, and unless we can defi-
nitely fix its meaning as the Apostle used it,
we are not likely to understand the passages
correctly. Heaven, then, is sometimes put,
for what St. Paul calls the " third" heaven,
and what Solomon calls " the heaven of hea-
vens," the place where God is represented as
residing and exercising his authority and
power in the government of the universe.—
It is the temple of the divine Majesty, where
his excellent glory is revealed in the most
conspicuous manner. But we cannot think
the Apostle refers to that place, when he
says, '' the heavens being on fire shall he cUs-
solved.^^ Again, the word heaven is applied
to that region of space occupied by the sim^

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

365

and the stars, and is called in Scripture, " the
firmame7itP (Gen. i. 17.) Now, we do not
conceive the possibility of destroying that
space, or the probability of those heavenly
bodies passing away with a great noise,
when Christ shall come to judge the world.
But the word heaven, is also applied to the
atmosphere, which envelopes our earth, and
and hence we read of the " foivls of heaven,"
(Job. XXXV. 11,) the 'Uleiv of heaven," the
" clouds of heaven," and the 'Hvmds of hea-
ven." Now, the application of the word in
our text, to the atmosphere is easy, natiual,
and even certain ; in short, we do not see the
possibility of the Apostle using it in any other
sense. Besides, we have the concurrent tes-
timony of commentators to the same effect.
Br. Clarke says : " As the heavens mean here,
and ill the passages above, the whole «t??^05-
phere, m which all the terrestrial vapours are
lodged." This opinion wil! fr^ce for a spe-
cimen.

Consider the composition of this atmosphere,
and see whether there 1^ a possibility of such
an occurrence as Peter speaks of—

The immense mass of permanently elastic

fW^I

i >

366

LECTURES ON THE

fluid, says Dr. Ure, which surrounds the globe
we inhabit, must consist of a general assem-
blage of every kind of air, which can be formed
by the various bodies which compose its sur-
face. Most of these, however, are absorbed by
waters ; a number of them are decomposed by-
combination with each other, and some of
them are scidom disengaged in considerable
quantities by the processes of nature. He?ice
it 2s that the loioer atmosphere consists chief y of
oxygen and nitrogen, together with moisture,
and the occasional vapours or exhalations of
bodies. TJie upper atmosphere seems to be
composed of a large proportion of hydrogen,
a fluid of so much less specific gravity than
any other, that it must naturally ascend to
the highest places.

Oxygen gas is a iwiverful siqyporter of com-
bnstion, or hur?ii7ig. Hydrogen gas is most
highly inflamable. Now, when we consider
that the lower part of the atmosphere con-
tains about one fifth of oxygen and the upper
part of the atmosphere a much greater pro-
portion of hydrogen, we see how much com-
bustible material there is in the atmosjhere
itself When five measures of atmospheric

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

367

air are mixed with two of hvdrog-en, and a
lighted taper, or an electee si.ark^is applied
to the mixture, ex^ilodoiv takes x>hice ; such tin
experiment give^ • , on a small scale, instan-
ces of tku7ider and lightning, ^"^ *

But the atmosphere contains an immense
quantity of tvater fluid raised by evaporation,
and carried about in the form of clouds ; now,
at first thought, we might sup])ose that this
floating watery element would be a sufficient
guard against the atmosphere being burnt up ;
but the very contrary of this is the case, for
these very watery particles can be acted upon
so as to produce thunder and lightning of the
most terrific kind. A quotation from Dr.
Clarke's commentary will set this clearly
before us 5 he says : " As the heavens mean
here, and in the passage above, the whole
atmosphere, in which all the terrestrial vapors
are lodged ; and as %vater itself is composed
of. two gases, eighty-five parts in iveight of
oxygen and fifteen ol hydrogen, and as the
chclric,OY ethereal fire, is that which, in all
likelihood, God will use in the general con-
flagration ; the noise occasioned by tlie appli-
* Loudon Ency.

368

LECTURES ON TH£

cation of this fire to such an immense co?ige-
ries of aqueous particles as flood in the atmos-
phere, must be terrible in the extreme. Put
a drop of water on an anvil, place over it a
piece of iron red hot, strike the iron with a
hammer on the part above the drop of water,
and the report will be as loud as a musket ;
when, then, the whole strength of those oppo-
site agents is brought together into a state of
conflict, the noise, the thunderings, the innw
merahle explosiom, will be frequent, loud, con--
founding and terrijk beyond every compre-
hension but that of God himself." We have
all been spectators of thunder storms, in w^hich
the noise has been very loud, and the fire
sometimes awfally grand j sometimes the light
has been zigzag, at other times balls of fire
connected with a chain of fire,— and these
have produced fear and awe in our minds
more than any thing else could do. But on
how small a scale was that storm, perhaps
uot over a mile or two in length and width,
and half a mile in height; but what is this
to the vast extent of onr atmosphere which,
at the conflagration, will be a terrific thunder
storm upon a most extensive scale, and of a

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 369

most divinely magnificent character, extend-
ing from our earth to the highest regions, say
about sixty milts upward, and from every
part of the equator to the poles ; then, indeed,
" the heavens shall pass away with a great
noise, and the elements shall melt with fer-
vent heat."

Thirdly, it is said in our text, « the elements
shall melt with fervent heatP The word,
translated elements, signifies the first princi-
ples or constituent parts of any thing. Hence,
it signifies the letters of the alphabet, v/hicli
are the constituent parts or eJeinents of writ-
ing ; in the text, we understand the word
elements to mean those gases of which the
atmosphere is composed ; hence, Dr. Clai'ke
says, " when the fire has conquered and de-
composed the water, the elements, the hydro^
gen and oxygen airs, or gases, (the former of
w^hich is most inflamable, and the latter an
eminent supporter of all combustion,) will
occupy distinct regions of the atmosphere, the
hydrogen, by its very great levity, ascending
to the top, while the oxygen, from its superior
specific gravity, will keep upon, or near the
surface of the earth : and thus, if these dif-

I ;i! e :i

i^'i;

370

LECTURES ON THE

ferent substances be once ignited, the fire,
which is supported in this case, not only by
the oxygen, which is one of the constituents
of atmospheric air, but also by a great addi.
tional quantity of oxygen, obtained from the
decomposition of all aqueous vapours, will ra-
pidly seize on all other substances, on all ter-
restrial particles, and the whole frame of na-
turje will be necessarily torn in pieces ; and
thus the earth and its works be burnt %i])P
Thus, you perceive, by the chemical composi-
tion of the atmosphere, that it contains the
very elements which fit it for such a confla-
gration, as St. Peter here foretells ; so that
sound philosophy gives its assent to divine
revelation, and both agree that " the liBavens
being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the ele-
ments shall melt with fervent heat." — ver. 12
But let us now proceed to consider, secondly^
the conJlagratio7i of the earth. The Apostle
says, " the earth also, and the ivorhs that are
therein, shall be burnt itp^ The " earth" here
doubtless means the body of the globe, and
the " u rks," all things upon its surface.

Let us proceed to consider the composition.
of the earth, so far as we are capable of doing

t
e
i

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

371

SO. You will not expect us, in a short lecture,
to draw largely from the science of geology,
and to speak of all the materials of which the
crust of this earth is made. The surface gen-
erally consists of a cooftisod mixture of de-
cayed animal and veget;ib]e substances, and
earths rudely united together; but, below
the surface, the materials are found arranged
in a more regular manner. The origin and
formation of the different strata is ascribed
to the deluge, when it is supposed all sorts
of terrestrial bodies were dissolved and mixed
with the waters, — and that the heaviest sank
first, and the lightest afterwards; and thus
were formed the strata of which the earth
consists, and that these strata gradually attain-
ed their hardness and solidity, and have since
continued distinct. But a large portion of the
earth's surface consists of tvaters, and the sea
itself is extended over about six tenths of the
whole ; but what proportion the water upon
the surface may bear to the solid part of the
earth's crust, we have no means of ascertain-
ing, for the bottom of the sea probably resem-
bles the surface of the dry land in its inequa-
lities, and has eminences and depressions as

i ■?

•I i\

I 1

I' ',

372

LECTURES ON THE

Strongly marked as our mountains and val-
leys.

But this immense body of water will form
no impediment to the general conflagration*
for when cavities are formed by earthquakes
in the crust of the earth, the sea will flow
mto the flaming liquid of the earth's bowels,
from which it will be thrown off with incre-
dible impetuosity, and thus break down every
barrier that would stop its motion or expansion,
and thus the water itself will contribute to
the terrible confusion by sinking mountains,
rending rocks, and bursting open a thou-
sand places of this earth's crust, and pouring
out immense eruptions from the mighty caul-
dron of our globe.

The thickness of mir earth's crust, cannot, of
course, be ascertained with any precision ; but,
we presume, no informed person will suppose
that it is one solid mass of substances from its
circumference to its centre ; various conjec-
tures have been formed upon the subject, but
the most general, and probable theory, is, that
the bowels of the earth are an immense mass
of intense fire, surrounded by a suflicient
crust of various materials. At present, how-

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

373

ever, we shall confine ourselves to the proba-
ble thickness of this shell, which encloses the
central fire. We find, then, means have been
used for penetrating this crust, by mines ; the
deepest of those mines is one in Hungary,
yet it is not over 1000 yards deep,— a little
more than half a mile down from the surface.
Again, attempts have lieen made to fathom
the depths of the sea. The grea. jst depth that
has been sounded, so far as we know, was by
Mr. Scoresby (in June, 1817,) who sounded
to the depth of 7200 feet, a little over four
miles ; but this was only about a thousandth
part of the earth's semi-diameter. Bishop Bur-
nett says : " The central fire must be inclosed
in a shell of great strength and firmne^;
for fire being of itself the lightest, and most
active of all bodies, it would not be detained
in that lowest prison without a stron"*g guard
upon it. It is true, we can make no certain
3 udgment, of what thickness this shell is ; but
if we suppose this fire to have a twentieth part
of the semi-diameter of the earth, (viz., about
200 miles) on either side the centre, for its
sphere, which seems to be a fair allowance,
there would still remain nineteen parts for

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374

LECTURES ON THE

our safeguard and security : and these nine-
teen parts of the semi-diameter of the earth*
will make 3268 miles * for a partition wall
betwixt us and this central fire."t But, you
perceive, the learned bishop only supposes the
central fire to be one-twentieth of the half
diameter of our globe, without giving any
calculations or data that would lead to such a
conclusion; and we are inclined to think,
(set^mg aside the misprint or miscalculation,)
that his supj)osition is rather extravagant, for
we can see no reason to think the shell of the
earth is • 3800 miles thick, while the central
fire is only 400 miles diameter. Professor
Stillman says: "A fact of general interest
has been proved by the boring of the Artesian
wells in the suburbs of Paris, namely, as we
go towards the centre of the earth, the tem-
perature increases at the rate of about one
degree for every fifty feetP % Now, if this
ratio j^hould coulinue to the burning liquid of
^he interior, it will serve as a general rule by

* Reckoning 8000 miles for the diameter, the 3268
ought to be 3800 miles.
t Theory of the world.
J Wes. Mag, 1851, p. 760.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

375

which to make some important calculations,
Viz., if the heart, or liquid part of our earth,
was originally made of tin, that metal melts
at a heat of 4420 farenheit, consequently the
mcreasing heat towards the bowels of the
earth, would melt it at a depth of about 1 1
miles, which would then be the thickness of
the earth's crust. But if the interior were
made of lead, then the crust would be 16
miles. If the interior were made of silver
the crust would be 52 miles. If it were made
of gold, the crust would be 56 miles. If it
were made of cast-iron, the crust would be 78
miles. If it were made of Platina, Vi mei^l
which melts at a heat so intense that no in-
strument now in use can measure it, but if
we suppose it to melt at 3060" heat, then the
crust of the earth would be 84 miles.

The above calculations are made upon the
supposition that the temperature of the earth
increases regularly at the rate of one degree
for every 50 feet, until we come to the cen-
tral fire. But the probability is, that the tem-
pemture increases as we approach the state of
fusion, according to a well known law in na-
ture. If, for illustration, you insert one end of

1
I

■' P-

. 1

376

LECTURES ON THE

a bar of iron in a fire, and hold the other end
in your hand, when the part of the rod which
is in the fire is red hot, the other end in your
hand is but slightly warm, but the heat is great-
er then 1" to every 50 feet, as you move your
hand towards the fire ; so it probably is in the
crust of the earth, and the heat which increases
1 ^ to every fifty feet, near the surface, may
increase much more rapidly as you approach
the central heat.

Bishop Burnet says : « consider the hidden
invisible materials within the veins of the
earth ; such are all minerals, or mineral juices
and concretions that are igniferous,or capabla
of inflammation ; and these cannot easily be
reckoned up, or estimated ; some of the most
common are sulphur, and sulphureous bodies,
and earth's impregnated with sulphur, bitu-
men, and bitumenous concretions ; inflamable
salts, coal, and other fossils that are ardent;
with innumerable mixtures and compositions
of these kinds, * * * which, by attrition, dis-
cover the latent seeds of fire.

By the above calculations, you perceive
that if the heart of our earth were made of a
metal which requires the greatest heat to melt

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

377

it, the crust of the earth might only be about
84 miles thick. And if that heart of the earth
were made of Hn, the crust might not be more
than 11 miles thick. Now, if these calcula-
tions be correct, and we even suppose this
shell of the earth to be 100 miles in thickness,
yet there is in its bowels a burning fire of
7800 miles diameter, leaving only about one-
fortieth part for its crust ; thus the thickness
of the earth's crust, according to these calcula-
tions, is but little more, in proportion to its
size, than the thickness of an eg- shell is to
its inner parts. /

The conclusion, then, is, that our earth, in
its composition, offers no effectual hindrance
to its final conflagration ; and from what we
might term the merest accident, such as a col-
lision with a comet, the shell might be broken
in a moment. Pliny, the naturalist, said, « it
was one of the greatest wonders of the world,
that the world was not every day set on fire."

Let us now proceed to consider by what
means the conflagration may be started. Mr.
Wesley says : "how soon may a comet, commis-
sioned by the Lord, travel down from the
most distant parts of the universe ! and were

378

LECTURES ON THE

It to fix upon the earth, in its return from the
sun, when at is some thousand times hotter
than a red hot cannon-ball, who does not see
what must be the immediate consequence ?"•
Here Mr. Wesley appears to refer to the
comet setting fire to our earth ; but we have,
in a preceding paragraph, spoken also of a
comet crushing in the shell of our earth if
we were to come in collision with it ; and
suqh a collision is quite possible, as several
comets, known to Astronomers, cross the
earth s orbit, as they perform their revolutions
round the sun. And, I have autlwity for
saymg, that if our earth had been a month's
journey more forward in its orbit in the year
I«32, It would have come into collision with
the comet of Bicla ; and as tl:ere are hundreds,
and perhaps thousands, of those wandering
stars, who does not see the danger to whiel
our earth is exposed ?

Cut some have supposed, that ^vhen the
atmosphere is on fire and the elements melt
with fervent heat, that the burning atmosphere
may set fire to this terraqueous globe. Dr.
Cj^]*^^speaking_of^^ elements in
• Wes. Works, rol. 5. p, 180. ~ '

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

379

the atmosphere, says, it " will rapidly seize on
all other substances, on all terrestrial particles,
and the whole frame of nature will be neces-
sarily torn in pieces ; and thus the earth and
its works be burnt upP

Again, the sun and central fire of the earth
have been thought probable means of accom-
plishing it. Bishop Burnet, in referring to
some writers, says, "there are two grand
Capital causes which some authors make use
of as the chief agents in this work — the sun
and the central fire. These two great incen-
diaries, they say, will be let loose upon us
at the conflagration : the one drawing nearer
to the earth, and the other breaking out of its
bowels into these upper regions." *

Dr. Gumming says : " It has been ascer-
tained by geologists, in the course of the last
few years, that the interior portions of that
very globe, on the crust of which our houses
are built, is one vast mass of liquid or molten
fire ; and that earthquakes, the vibrations of
which we feel, are but the shocks of thoso
fiery waves lashing those desolate subterra-
nean shores, and that those volcanoes are but

♦ Theory of the Earth.

380

LECTURES ON THE

the safety-valves that allow the excess of its
action to escape, lest the crust of the earth
should be riven in pieces, and all its popula-
tion perish." Speaking of the last day, he
says: "Then the fire that is treasured up
shall burst forth at ten thousand crevices--

* the elements shall melt as with fervent heat'
—the solid rocks shall blaze as if they were
wax, and the rivers as if they were oil. and
th^ weary old earth, having undergone the
ordeal of the last fire, shall regain its pristine
purity, and become fit for the immediate pre-
sence of the descending Saviour and his risen
saints." *

Eruptions from burning mmntains supply
us with evidence sufficient to show, that if
their number were multiplied, streams of lava
might flow from the equator to the poles, and
having communication with the internal fire,
th J destruction could easily be effected.

Tlien earthquakes are spoken of as being
uncommonly numerous at that time. Mat-
thew, Mark and Luke, all report Christ as
statmg that there will be « great earthquakes
in divers places f the effect of these upon the

* Lee. on Apoc. " " ""

;ii

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

381

shell of our^ earth may be like taking the
key-stone from the arch, when the whole will
fall to pieces ; so our earth, by these numerous
earthquakes, may be so rent in pieces that
the whole shall be broken, up, and fall towards
its centre, where a short time will be suffi-
cient to consume the whole.

Angels, as God's messengers and execu-
tioners, have also been thought of as the
agents in producing the conflagration ; *• they
have often been employed to execute God's
judgments upon a nation, or a people, that it
cannot seem strange that in this last judg-
ment, which is represented as the day of his
wrath, angels shall bear their part and con-
clude the last scene of that tragedy ; hence
we read of the destroying angel in Egypt,
(Gen. xii. 23) and of the angels thao presided
at the destruction of Sodom, (Gen. xix. 13)
and that angels will accompany the Judge
when he comes in flames of fire to call the
nations to his bar.

The extent of this conflagration of our earth
is a point upon which we shall briefly dwell.

When we consider the vast quantity of in-

♦ Bishop Burnett.

LECTURES ON THE

ternal fire there is in the bowels of the earth,
and the latent fire there is in every substance,
so that a blow with a horse's shoe against a
stone, or a little friction between two sticks,
or almost any other materials, will bring out
that fire, till it is sensible to the sight or the
touch, besides the immense quantity of elec-
trical fire that can be produced from the
atmosphere at any time ; from all these con-
sideptions, some eminent men have supposed
that this globe will be entirely annihiU
ated'* but we are inclined to think, consi-
denng and comparing the Scriptures with
themselves, that the fire will dissolve, but not
destroy our e^xVa.^change, but not annihilate
It ; in short, fire cannot annihilate any thing
It produces changes in matter, it evaporates'
liquids, separates the particles of solids, and
It may Hqidfy the v/hole earth, melt it down
into a fluid ; but it cannot really destroy any
part of it, so that it shall not exist any more ;
so far as the conflagration goes, then, the earth,'
will undergo a universal change, in its proper-
ties, and appearance, from its centre to its

•Bishop Burnett's Theory.

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

383

circumference. The words of Scripture sug-
gest the idea thus stated, where we read « His
lightnings enlightened the world j the earth
saw and trembled. The hills melted like
wax at the presence of the LarcV—Fs. xcvii.
4, 5 ; also Nah. i, 5 ; Rev. xviii. 2. " Tlie
elements shall melt with fervent heat," " all
these things shall be dissolved ;" (2 Pet. iii.
10, 11) these terms of liquifaction and disso-
lution cannot be restrained to simple devasta-
tion, and superficial scorching; they must
mean a universal melting of all the ingredients
of the earth.

What shall become of the occupants of this
earth when it is burnt up] This is a question
which arises from many considerations, and
we sliall endeavor to answer it according to
analogy and Scripture. The Apostle, in this
chapter, has just been speaking of the delnge
and its desolations, (ver. 5, 6) and then, by
analogy, refers to the coming dissolution by
fire, (ver. 7.) Now, this comparison, as well
as the nature of the conflagration, shows us,
that if some special provision is not made, all
those occupants then living must necessarily
perish by the fire, or the earthquakes ; and,

f'K

ft -.r.

IHI

f^ i

384

LECTURES ON THE

SO far as the inferior orders of creation are
concerned, we have reason to think they will
all perish, as the scriptures do not appear to
us to make any such provision for their escape
as was made in tlie ark. But with regard to
the human race, the dead shall be raised, and
the living changed, and both caught up to
meet the Lord, when he shall come to judge
the people, and as this tribunal will probably
be^held considerably above our atmosphere,
they ^vill be safe from the devouring element.
When may we expect this conflagration to
take place ? St. Peter, in this chapter, pre-
diets « that there shall come in the last days
scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and
saying, where is the promise of his coming
for since the fathers fell asleep all things con-
tmue as they were from the beginning of the
creation," (ver. 3, 4.) I am not disposed to
attach much importance to those scoffers, nor
even to their opinions respecting the state of
the earth when the conhagration is near ; but
there are other passages which run thus: « of
old thou hast laid the foundations of the earth ;
and the heavens are the work of thy hands!
They sh^U perish, but thou shalt endure ; yea

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

385

all of them i^hall wax old like a garment."—
Ps cii. 25,26. »* Lift up your eyes to the
heavens, and look upon the earth beneath j
for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke,
and the earth shall wax old like a garment.'^''
Isa. li. 6. St. Paul has endorsed the same
sentiment in the same words, (Heb. i. 11.)
Dr. Clarke says upon these words : « As a
garment, by long using, becomes unfit to be
longer used, so shall all visible things ; they
shall wear old, and wear out : and hence the
necessity of their being renewed." ^

I am not prepared to say in what the wax-
ing old and wearing out appearance of our
earth may consist ; whether these indications
of its age and approaching end may be on the
surface, by the soil being less productive, or
in the air, by its becoming less capable of sus-
taining animal and vegetable life. But we
are inclined to think that these evidences of
the age of our earth will not be very marked
to its inhabitants at the time, for they will be
of opinion that all things continue much the
same ; and, not seeing any marked change,
they will not expect Christ, till he come upon
them « as a thief in the night."— 2 Pet. iii.
10. See also Matt. xxiv. 36-39, 44.

I if

i m

38e

t-KCTURlES ON THE

Now, the scriptures abound in rassages
Which clearly show that the conflagration,
the second Advent of Christ, and the judg-
ment day, are cotemporary; hence we read,
JL,ooking for and hasting unto the coming of
the day of God, wherein the heavens being
on fire shall be dissolved."— 2 Pet. iii 12
"■When the Son of Man shall come in his
glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit u>-on the throne of his glory ; and
befbre him shall be gathered all nations, and
he shall separate them one from another."—
Matt. XXV. 31. The more fully we should
pursue this subject, the more clearly we
should be satisfied that those three great
events will occur at the same time.

In conclusion, then, let us look upon our-
selves as deeply interested in these matters ;
we may now be grasping the sordid dust of
the earth, heaping up riches by adding house
to house and field to field, carrying out ava-
ricious purposes and projects, as if this earth
were our perpetual home ; but, oh ! let us
remember that the earth, to which we cling
the earth which we so highly value, will be
burnt up with all its works ; and you and I

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

387

long before that time, will be still in death.
But let us bear in mind, that when these
things shall take place, we shall have to render
an account to the Omniscient Judge. Life,
with all its advantages, opportunities, and
occupations, will pass under review,* and the
eternal destiny of every one irrevocably set-
tled. In prospect of that great day let us
"apply our hearts unto wisdom."

LECTURE XIII.

THE NEW CREATION.'

2 Pet. iii. 13.

" Nevertheless we, aWording to his promise, look for
new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleih righteous-
ness."

When God created our earth and atmosphere,
everything therein was " very good ;" it was
an Eden, a habitation of delight for every
living creature, in which there was nothing
to hurt or destroy ; there was neither grief,
pain,sickness, nor death amongst all the tribes,
from man the noblest of all, to the smallest
creature, in the scale of gradation ; in short,
our earth was a province of heaven, over
which the "only wise Cod" was its most
gracious sovereign. Under the divine Being,
man was placed in a subordinate, but yet
exalted position, as the vicegerent of God,
exercising " dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the foul of the air, and over the cat-

!• it

?. ; '.

390

LECTURES ON THB

tie, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the
earth,.--Gen. i, 26. The law to which
Adam was himself subject, was of so mode-
rate a character, that we might have sup-
posed him incapable of offence to his supreme
master ; but the history of his career, as
you well know, clearly relates his shame-
ful transgression, his banishment from the
garden, and the curse that fell upon our earth,
in consequence of his sin. This curse extend-
ed, as we think, to the finney tribes of the
deep, the sweet songsters of the atmosphere,
the rambling insects around us, the roving
beast of the forests, and all the vegetable
world; nay, the very atmosphere around our
globe, became impregnated with poisonous
vapors, and has ever since been the scene of
terrible thunder-storms- and devastating hur-
ricanes. But he that « sitteth upon the flood,"
says unto the winds and waves, « peace be
still, and there is a great calm." « The Lord
sitteth King fur ever.."— Ps. xxix.lO

But there is a time to come in which the
warring elements of our earth, shall be not
only calmed and restrained, but regenerated,

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

591

made over again. For God hath said, « Be-
hold, I create new heavens and a new earth."
Isa. Ixv. 17. And to this it is probable the
Apostle alludes when he says : " We, accor-
ding to his promise, look for new heavens,
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteous-
ness." It is true, the promise in Isaiah may-
be applied to the glory of the gospel dispen-
sation ; yet St. Peter carries our ideas of a
new creation beyond the judgment day and
the conflagration, speakijig of it as taking
place after " the heavens being on fire, shall
be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat."

Our present effort, then, must be to ascer-
tain, as correctly as we can, what is to be un-
derstood by the new creation. Following the
order the Apostle has observed, let us consider,

The NEW HEAVENS. " We, according to
his promise, look for new heavens."

We observed in our last lecture, that the
conflagration of our earth and its atmos-
phere would not produce annihilationy that is,
reduce it to nothing ; so that when the fire is
burnt out, the ashes, or melted materials
thereof, will still remain.

! L

392

LECTURES ON THE

We also stated that the words, « the hea-
vens shall pass away with a great noise, and
the elements shall melt with fervent heat,"
are to be nndexstood of our atmosphere, and
the different gases of which it is composed,
which will become one universal and terrific
thunder storm, by which the atmosphere that
now is, will pass away with a great noise.
But what does the Apostle mean by " new
heavens?" Is this ^figurative expression with
which he represents one thing by another?
we think not ; unless the deluge was figura-
tive, and not real, and unless the conflagration
will be figurative, and not real, for he speaks
of them all in succession, and in a similar
style. To use the words of Bishop Burnett
upon this passage : " Here is no room for alle-
gories, or allegorical expositions, unless you
will make the conflagration of the world an
allegory, for, as heavens and earth were des-
troyed, so heavens and earth are restored ;
and if, in the first place, you understand the
natural material world, you must also under-
stand it in the second place ; they are both
allegories, or neither."
Again, by the new heavens we cannot

^^CkP^^^p^S* "'^

SECOND ADVENT OF CHUIST.

393

suppose the apostle meant a new planetary
system of suns, moons, and stars, such bright
orbs as we now behold above us ; for, as we
have shown before, these are not comprehend-
ed in the catastrophe of a burning world;
and, therefore, they cannot be succeeded by a
new production of similar bodies.

We may answer the question, what are the
new heavens, by asking what were the old
which shall then have passed away 1 Is it
not the atmosphere which envelopes our
earth ? we think it is, and the new heavens
will be a new atTnosphere. But of what that
new atmosphere will consist, or what will be
its peculiar properties, we are not informed ;
thg Bible speaks of its creation as a fact ; but it
supplies no details ; we are, therefore left
to mere conjecture founded upon the circum-
stances of the case. The following opinions
are left to the church by the late Rev. John
Wesley, who says :

« We may more easily conceive the chan-
ges which will be wrought in the lower
heaven, in the region of the air. It will be
no more torn by hurricanes, or agitated by
furious storms, or destructive tempests. Per-

i.
II

LECTURES ON THE

nicious or terrifying meteors will have noplace
therein. We shall have no more occasion to
say,

There, like a trumpet loud and strong,

Thy thunder shakes our coast ;
While the red lightnings wave along

The banners of thy host I

No : All will then be light, fair, serene ; a

hvely picture of the eternal day.
^" All the elements (taking that word ia the

common sense, for the principles of which all

natural beings are compounded) will be new
indeed : entirely changed as to their quahties,'
although not as to their nature. Fire is at
present, the general destroyer of all things
under the sun ; dissolving all things that come
within the sphere of its action, and reducing
them to their primitive atoms. But no sooner
will it have performed its last great office of

destroying the heavens and the earth"

(than its) " destructions will come to a

perpetual end. It will destroy no more ; It
will consume no more : It will forget its
power to burn,— which it possesses only during
the present state of things,— and be as harm-
less in the new heavens and earth as it is now

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

395

in the bodies of men and other animals, and
the substance of trees and flowers, in all which
large quaiitities of ethereal fire are lodged j
if it be not rather an essential component part
of every material being imder the sun. But
it will probably retain its vivifying power,
though divested of its power to destroy.

" It has been already observed, that the
calm, placid air, will be no more disturbed by
storms and tempests. 1 here will be no more

meteors, with their horrid glare May

we not add, (though at first it sounds like a
paradox) that there will be no more rain. It
is observable that there was none in paradise,
a circumstance which Moses particularly men-
tions : Gen. ii. 5, 6—' The Lord God had not
caused it to rain upon the earth.— But there
went up a mist from the earth,' which then
co\; ered up the abyss of waters, < and watered
the whole face of the ground' with moisture
sufficient for all the purposes of vegetation.
We have reason to believe that the case
will be the same when paradise is restored.
Consequently there will be no clouds or fogs,
but one bright refulgent day. Much less will
there be any poisonous damps, or pestilential

^ ft
is

r "

398

LECTURES ON THE

blasts. There will be no Sirocco in Italy ; no
parching or suffocating winds in Arabia ; no
keen north-east winds in our own country. *

" Shattering tha graceful locks of yon fair
trees ; but only pleasing, healthful breezes,
" Fanning the earth with oderiferous wings." f

Such, then, are the views upon the new
heavens, entertained by an eminent minister
of Christ. Let us now consider —
\ Secondly, the new earth.

Let us look at some of those terms which
are applied in scripture to the new creation ;
one of these is in the gospel by St. Matthew,
xix. 28 : " And Jesus said nnto them, verily
I say unto you, that ye which have followed
me, in the regeneration^ when the Son of Man
shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also
shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel. The word regenera-
tion, here used, refers to the time when Jesus
shall sit on the throne of his glory, and not
to the time of following him. Some com-
mentators consider that the word refers to the
new creation of the earth. Mr. Wesley, both

' '■■■■ II 1 1 I — ■- ■ I II I I HUM,! I ■— 1^^— ^^^^^

* England.

t Wesley's Works, vol. vi.. nn. 291, 292.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

fair

397

ill the punctuation of tlie text, and in the
note, applies the word to « the final renova-
tion of all things." Bishop Burnett, too, says,
« this regeneration seems to belong to his
second coming, when the world shall be
renewed or regenerated, and the righteous
shall possess the earth." The next passage
is Acts iii. 20, 21: « And he shall send Jesus
Christ, which before was preached Unto you :
whom the heavens must receive until the
times of restitution of all things, which God
hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy
prophets since the world began." These
words were spoken by St. Peter, and Bishop
Burnett thinks they are to be applied to the
same thing, viz., a new creation ; the Bishop's
words are : « If we compare this passage of
St. Peter's with that which we alleged before,
out of his second epistle, it can scarce be
doubted but that he refers to the same pro-
mises in both places ; and what he there calls
a new heaven and a new earth, he calls here
a restitution of all things : for the heavens
and the earth comprehend all, and both these
are but different phrases for the renovation of
the world." *
♦ Theory of the World 7

398

LECTUREl ON Till

Wo are,however, inclined to tliink that the
-Apostle refers not only to the new creation of
the heavens and the earth, but also to " the
whole reign of grace, from the ascension of
our Lord till his coming again," and thereby
effecting a moral renovation in man, as well
as a physical one in the earth.

The word ^^ changed'*'* is also applied to the
new creation. " Of old hast thou laid the
foundation of the earth : and the heavens are
the work of thy hands. They shall perish,
but thou shalt endure ; yea all of them shall
wax old like a garment ; as a vesture shalt
thou change them, and they shall be changed."
— Ps. cii. 26. See also 1 Cor. vii. 31 ; Rom.
viii. 21-24 ; Heb. i. 10-12. These, and other
passages, represent this earth, afTer the con-
flagration, as being changed in its form or
fashion ; the disposition of its parts being
altered or arranged differently, like a material
that is melted down ; the form is altered, but
the material is not destroyed.

Now, we are inclined to think, that tl r^
" new earth" will be formed out of the old
one ; the materials which are in this, will also
be in that, although they will probably be

SECOND ADVENT 01' CIIRIST.

399

differently arranged in ov( ry part from what
they now are. "We tnke it for granted,"
says Durham, a Scottish Divine, (on Rev. xxi.
1) " that there is not to be a full annihilation

of this universe by this change yea,

this exception, that ' there shall he no more sea;
c< nfirmeth it ; fur it supposeth somewhat more
to befall it than the heavens and the earth,
which could not be if the annihilation of all
were iibsnhite. The question, therefore, lieth
mainly in this, whether that change be stib-
stantial, so that those heavens and this earth
being removed, there are new heavens and
new earth again created ; or whether that
change be but in respect of qualities, as it is
with respect to the body of man, which is
raised the same as to its substance ; yet so as
to its qualities it may be called another, for
its spirituality, purity, glory, incorruptibleness,

&c We conceive this last to be truth

— that as the heavens and earth are not sub-
stantially changed or annihilated, so the new
earth and heaven succeeding are the same
for substance, but for nature more stable, for
beauty more glorious, for use free from the
abuses sinful men put them unto, and from

400

LECTURE! ON THK

the efiects of the curse put upon them for
man's sin— they are altogether freed and set
at liberty from these. Therefore it is called
* the time of the restitution of all things." *
The following lines from Wesley are very
expressive upon this point :

" These eyes shall see them fall,
Mountains, and stars and skies I
These eyes shall see them all
Out of their ashes rise I
I These lips his praises shall rehearse,

Whose nod restores the universe.

According to his word,

H! 5 oath to sinners given,
We look to see restored
The ruin'd earth and heaven ;
In a new world his truth to prove,
A world of righteousness and love."

Bishop Burnett, in speaking of the arrange-
ment of materials in the new earth, says:
" Now, as to the lower of these two regions,
the region of melted matter," (which he sup-
poses will then be in the heart of the earth)
" we shall have little occasion to take notice
of it ; but the upper region, or all above that
orb of fire, is the true draught of a chaos ; or

• Brown.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

401

a mixture and confusion of all the elements,
without order and distinction. Here are par-
ticles of earth, and of air, and of water,
all promiscuously jumbled together, by the
force and agitation of the fire. But when
that force ceases, and every one is left to
its own inclination, they will, according to
their different degrees of gravity, separate
and sort themselves after this manner :
first, the heaviest and grossest parts of the
earth will subside, then the watery parts
will follow; then a lighter sort of earth,
which will stop, and rest upon the surface of
the water, and compose there a thin film or
membrane. This membrane, or tender orb,
is the first rudiment or foundation of a new

habitable earth! and having in itself,

all the principles of a fruitful soil, whether for
the production of plants, or of animals, it will
want no property or character of a habitable
earth. And, particularly, will become such
an earth, and of such a form, as the first par-
adisaical earth was."* Having thus stated
our views of the creation of the new earth,

Theory of the earth.

lii:,.=

402

LECTURES ON THE

let US now proceed to look at its surface some-
what in detail.

Its wafers, which now occupy so lar<'-e a
portion of the earth, appears to be destined to
a great change in the new earth, for St. John,
in his prospective vision of it, said, ''there
was no more sea.'^'^ A difference of opinion
upon ihis passage exists among writers upon
the subject, some supposing that the sea will
still occupy a place upon the earth's surface,
although differently distributed from what the
old sea was.f But the Apostle is stating the
appearance of the new earth after its renova-
tion, and the absence of the sea is so particu-
larly noticed, that we are inclined to accept
his statement literally ; besides, we find other
writers, to whose opinions we attach great
importance, take this view of it; Wesley
says : « we have reason to believe, that at
the beginning of the world, when God said,
' let the waters under the heaven be gathered
together unto one place, and let the dry land
appear,' (Gen. i. 9,) the dry land spread over
the face of the water, and covered it on every
• Rev. xxi L
t Dr. Clarke, on Rev. xxi. 1.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

403

side. And so it seems to have done, till, in
order to the general deluge, which God had
determined to bring upon the earth at once,
< the windows of heaven were opened, and
the fountains of the great deep broken up."
But the sea will then (at the new creation)
retire within its primitive bounds, and appear
on the surface of the earth no more. Neither,
indeed, will there be any more need of the

sea ; cfor every part of the earth will

naturally produce whatever its inhabitants
want, — or all mankind will procure what the
whole earth affords, by a much easier and
readier conveyance."* If the water of the
sea is shut up in the bowels of the earth, even
there it will exist as the fountains of the great
deep, to supply the rivers and feed the springs.
" It will be in every part of the world clear
and limped, pure from all unpleasing or un-
healthful mixtures ; rising here and there in
crystal fountains, to refresh and adorn the
earth, ' with liquid lapse of murmuring
stream.' For, undoubtedly, as there were in
Paradise, there will be various rivers gently

lU -

♦ Wesleys Works, vol. vi. p. 292.

404

LECTURES ON THB

gliding along for the use and pleasure of both
man and beast."t

Let us now proceed to view the dry land,
as it will probably appear in the new earth.
We have before spoken of the conflagration
liquifying all the materials of the earth, so
that its surface will be even, uniform and
regular, without mountains and without val-
leys; " there will be no more horrid rocks, or
frightful precipices ; no wild deserts, or bar-
ren sands ; no impassable morasses, or un-
fruitful bogs. It will be no more shaken
or torn asunder by the impetuous force of
earthquakes, and will, therefore, need neither
Vesuvius, nor Etna, nor any burning moun-
tains to prevent them."

" And what will the general produce of the
earth be ? Not thorns, briers, or thistles ; not
any useless or foBtid weed ; not any poison-
ous, hurtful or unpleasant plant ; but every
one that can be conducive, in any wise, either
to our use or pleasure. How far beyond all
that the most lively imagination is now able
to conceive ! We shall no more regret the
loss of the terrestrial Paradise, or sigh at that

t Wesley's Works, vol. ri., p. 292.

i!P

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

405

well devised description of our great Poet —

Then shall this mount
Of Paradise, by might of waves, be moved
Out of his place, pushed by the horned flood,
With all its verdure spoil'd, and trees adrift,
Down the great river to the opening gulf,
And there take root, an island salt and bare !

For all the earth shall be a more beautiful
Paradise than Adam ever saw." *

Dr. Gumming, speaking of the new earth,
says : " the Creator is to come forth again, as
its regenerator. Deity will, as Deity alone
can, re-make all. He will harmonise all its
discords — allay its fever — and expunge the
foul blot of sin which was dropped upon Eden
of Satan, and has radiated to its circumference.
Then his autograph shall be written and made
legible on all — the weakest thing shall express
his power, and the most defective thing his

excellency The dew drops on every acre

of grass shall sparkle with his love, and earth
itself shall be the bright jewel on which his
name shall be visibly engraven ; and tree, and
plant, and flower — oak and hyssop, and moun-
tain daisy, shall show whatever beauty they

* Wesley's Works, vol. vi., p. 294.

■' js

mtHmmmm nunwi

406 .

LECTURES ON THE

wear is borrowed from his smile, and what-
ever fragrance they exhale is derived from his
breath ; and they shall rentier to him their
thanksgiving, l»y consecrating all they are to
beautify the place of his feet; and these new
heavens and new earth shall be one grand
Eolian harp, over whose strings the Spirit of
God shell sweep, and draw out inexhaustible
harmonies. Thus, creation shall become a
meet supp'ement to Revelation, and providence
aicommeiilary on both. The temple shall be
opened day and night, and animate and in-
animate nature shall lift up ceaseless incense*
and unite its thousand- voiced psalm of praise.
Time shall be a perpetual Sabbath, and all
things shall be worship. The sun shall have
no spot, the sky no cloud, the year no au-
tumn, earth no graves.*

The inhabitants of the new earth will pro-
bably present to us one of the mo^t interest-
ing objects in our present researches, and
therefore we shall dwell a liltle more upon
this branch of our present lecture.

We presume that all who allow that there
will be a " new earthy'^ are prepared to admit

• Lect, on Apoc.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

407

that it will be occupied by some living crea-
tures, and, happily for us, our text adverts to
them, whore St. Peter snys "we, according
to his promise, look f r new h'^avens and a
new earth, wherein dwel!eth rigliteonsnrss,"
that is, -yiiihtecu^ persons. So far as I know, all
commentators agree, that persons are h^e
mi ant by the Apostle. Dr. Clarke says of
this new earih, it will be "made the endless
abode of blis^ed spiri's." Wesley has it,
"only rghteoiis persons." Matthew Henry
says of it : " this is to be the habilation of such
righteous persons as do righteousness, and are
free from the power and pollution of sin."

The first question to be settled then, is,
from iolievcpA\o these inhabitants come ? and in
answering this question, we are as'ain obi g^A
to enter ihe fie'd of controversy ; but we shall
supp'y different views as they ar? tak n by
the respH-rive parties, and came to such con-
clusions OS io us seem most prob ble from those
Scr ptnres which re'ate to the subject.

Bi>;hop Burnett stiys : " we net d before, that

there was no rt mnant of nitinkind left at the

conflag'ation, as there was at the deluge ; nor

any hopeb of a restoration in that way. Shall

\ I

'111

408

LECTURES ON THE

we then imagine that these new inhabitants
are a colony wafted over from some neigh-
boring woild ; as from the Moon, or Mercury,
or some of the higher planets'? You may
imagine what you pbase, but that seems to me

not imaginary only, but impracticable

the inhab tants are those which inhabited
this earth before. We look for new heavens
and new earth, says the Apostle ; surely to
have some share and interest in them, other-
Vise there would be no comfort in that expec-
tation The truth is, none can have so

good pretensions to this spot of ground we
call the earth, as the sons of men, seeing they
once possessed it: and if it be restored again,
it is their property and inheritance. But it is
not mankind in general that must possess this
new world, but the Israel of God espe-
cially those that have suffered for the sake of

their religion j as our Saviour says,

" those that suffer loss for his sake, shall be
recompensed." — Matt. xix. 28, 29.

"But they must be then raised from the
dead ; for all mankind was destroyed at the
conflagration. * Now, if there be truly

* This is a slip of the pen, for " the living shall be

SECOND ADVENT OF CHKIST.

409

and really a two-fold resurrection, as St. John
tells us, and that a thousand years distance
from one another, it may be very rationally
presumed, that those that are raised in the
first resurrection, are those just that will inha-
bit the new heavens and new earlli

for otherwise, who are those just that shall
inhabit the new earth, and whence do they

come 1 St. John says, the martyrs, at

this first resurrection, shall live again and
reign with Christ : which seems to be the
reward promised by our Saviour to those that
suffered for his sake, and the same persons in
both places. * < And I saw the souls of them
(says St. John) that were beheaded for the
witness of Jesus, and for the word of God ;
and which had not worshipped the beast, &c.,
and they lived and reigned with Christ a
thousand years.' — Rev. xx. 6.""|-

This writer, you perceive, considers the

changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and
caught up to meet the Lord in the air." — 1 Cor. xv. 62 ;
1 Thess. iv. 17.

* See this error corrected in the Lecture on the Resur-
rection.

t Pp. 633-535.

41U

I.KCfURES UN TH«

inhabitants of the new earth to be the
rjghteous dead, especially those who have
sullered martyrdom, who are to be raised to
life again, and thus occupy the earth as a
reward for their past fidelity and sufferings.

'i he Adveti lists have adopted s^ome of the

pre-millt^nnial views upon these subjects,onIy

they appear 1o think that the confJairratioii

and new creation will take place before the

dpy of judgment, and that the righteous w^ill

occnpy the new earth a thousand years before

the wicked are rais-d from the dead. But we

shall cillow them to sp3ak fjr themselves.

The writrr of ihe " A| proachini^ Cris's'' says,

"The earth bein<r clea'^se I, and all th-nirs

made new, it will have b en prepared for

the * dwelling of righteous per>OMs; who,

havini? * put on incorrupt on,' ;ind been

*caii2:ht up in the clouds to meet the

Lord in the air,' wiiere, coiistitutini? ' the
bride,' ' the Lamb's wife,' they were 'cilled
unto the marri: ge supper of the Lamb;— will
descend from heaven to tike p>ssession.
Thus John writes, tliat one of the angels said
to him : < Come hither, I will show thee the
bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me

•;i:

i ill

SECOND ADVEIST OF CHRIST. 411

away in the spirit to a great and high moun-
tain, and showed me that great city, the holy
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from
God.' ^ Thrones' are symbols of power. As
the saints are to reign with Christ on the
renewed earth, in obedience to the invitation :
* Come, ye bless?d of my Father, inherit the'
kingdom prepared for you from the foun-
dation ol the world.' All the saints

beuig thus exalted to kingly nnd priestly
dignity, symbolizes the exalted rank they are

to hold in the new creation As the

rest of the dead live not till the end of the
thousand years, they coirie forth at the ' resur-
rection of damnation,' at the end of a thou-
sand years of the reign of the saints on the
earth, and at the epoch when Satan was to be
loosed from his prison."

Although we discard the idea of two resur-
rections from the dead, yet we think that the
inhabitants of the new earth will be the
righteous who are placed at the right hand of
the judge, when he shall separate the precious
from the vile ; * we think so, not only from
several portions of scripture, the meaning of

•See Macknight j 2 Pet. iii. 13.

412

•'. {

LECTURES ON THE

which is best understood in that way, but also
from the order observed by St. John given in
the book of the Revelations. But we shall
quote some of those passages which appear to
lis as referring to the inhabitants of the new
earth : " For evil doers shall be cut off ; but
those that wait upon the Lord, they shall
inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and
the wicked shall not be ; yea, thou shalt dili-
gently consider his place, and it shall not be.
But the meek shall inherit the earth ; and
shall delight themselves in the abundance of
peace."— Ps. xxxvii. 9-1 1 . " Blessed are the
meek, for they shall inherit the earth." « For
the promise, that he should be the heir of the
world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed,
through the law, but through the righteous-
ness of faith." « For unto the angels hath
he not put in subjection the world to come."
—Matt. V. 5; Rom. iv. 13; Rev. v. 9, 10.
These last words, <* the world to come^'' critics
are agreed should be " the habitable world to
come," and they are applied, by Bishop Bur-
nett, to the new earth and its inhabitants.
The song which St. John heard the recovered
church singing is as follows : " Thou art wor-

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

413

thy to take the book, and to open the seals
thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed
us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation. And
hast made us unto our God kings and priests:
and we shall reign on the earth." The order
of events which St. John has observed in the
Book of Revelations, leads us to the same
conclusion: he foretold the millennium, or
maturity of the Christian church — the little
season of apostacy — the resurrection of the
dead — the final judgment — the new creation
— and the re-settling of this earth by the
people of God, and the Divine Being dwelling
in their midst. *

The character of those new inhabitants will
materially affect their happiness upon the new
earth, and we rejoice to find such intimation
of its purity as to insure to them unmingled
felicity. They are " righteous," they have
" washed their robes and made them white
in the blgod of the Lamb." Those righteous
persons are eminently righteous, having no
admixture of evil ; sin is not in their society,
nor in their hearts ; they are « a chosen gene-

• Rev. chap, xx., xxi.

LECTURES ON THE

ration, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
peculiar people."

The absence of sin will secure to them that
degree of happiness, of which they may be
then susceptible, as Ihey will not be subject
to sorrow, suffering, pain or death, for God
will wipe away all tears from their eyes.
But Uie chief source of their happiness will
be the conscious presence and gracious mani-
festations of the Divine Being to those inha-
bitants ; it is stated by St. John, " I.lohn saw
the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down
from God out of heaven, prepared as a bridle
adorned for her husband. And I heard a
great noise out of heaven saying, Lehold, the
tabernac/e rf God is ivith men, and he icill dwell
with Ihcm, and tjiey shall be his people, and
God himself shall be wiih them, and be their
God. And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes ; and thtre shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain ; for the firmer things
are passed away." * The Apostle also sup-
plies a great many particulars respecting the
New Jerusalem, which are hard to be under-
* Rev. xxi. 2-4.

TMtarjMv'r

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST.

415

Stood, as some of them seem suitable enough
for a holy city in the new e irth ;— but other
particulars appear incompatible with a resi-
dence upon the globe, as it revolves upon
its own axis. Some parts of this descrip-
tion do not accord with our ideas of heaven
besides the Apostle spaaks of this new Jeru-
salem as cotempoMry with the new earth.
We are disposed to say, with a certain writer,
« these are great mysteries, which we cannot
perfectly understand yet, especially what St.
John says about the new Jerusalem coining
down from heaven, to take up its seat and
habitation on this new earth, that there is the
throne of God, and of the Lamb, where God
dwells, and which he enlightens with his
presence, and from whence he drives away
death, and sorrow, and pain, which seem to
signify that as the old heavens and old earth
are destroyed by fire, in vengeance on its
wicked inhabitants, so this new heaven and
new 6 rth, which God makes after the des-
truction of the old, is the seat of the blessed,
after their resurrection from the dead ; which,
I confess, I know not how to understand."*
*^i3bop Boraett, p. 394,

i it

'4 ; f

41(r

LXCTlDHES OiN TtlE

The best description of this new Jerusalem,
with which I am acquainted, is from the pen
of Dr. Gumming, where he says : " When
this overflowing fire shall have wrapped the
world, and consumed all that is in it, and,
having done its mission, has passed away,
Christ and his risen saints shall descend from
their serial glory upon the purified earth, called
in verse 13 < the new heavens and the new
ekrth ;' and this descended company is here
described as ' The Holy City, the New Jeru-
salem, ^oming dowm from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.'
This new Jerusalem coming down out of
heaven, is jnst the sealed ones out of every
kindred and tribe and tongue, that is, the
144,000, — those who had * washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb, ' — the sackcloth -wearing witnesses,
once all but extirpated from the earth — ^ a
woman,' once concealed in the wilderness, —
now coming down in their resurrection and
holy bodies, like a cloud of glory, to reign on
that earth on which they suffered so much
and so long."

There is one point more upon which a tew

r^-.

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

417

remarks ought, perhayjs, to be made, viz.,
what becomes of the " inferiw creatures ?"
shall they have a place in the new earth *? In
answer to these questions, we shall first fur-
nish a few quotations from writers upon the
subject. The famous passage upon which the
idea of restoration to the lower orders of crea-
tion is founded, is contained, in the epistle to
the Romans, chap, viii., ver. 19-23 : " For
the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth
for the manifestation of the sons of God. For
the creature was made subject to vanity, not
willingly, but by reason of him who hath
subjected the same in hope, because the crea-
ture itself also shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty
of the children of God. For we know that
the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in
pain together until now. And not only they,
but ourselves also, which have the first fruits
of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting for the adopt! )n, to wit, the
redemption of our body." Dr. Clarke, under
this passage, says, " there is considerable dif-
ficulty in this and the four following verses :
and the difficulty lies chiefly in the meaning

418

LECTURES ON THE

of the word which we translate the creature,
and crenlion. Some think, that liy it the
bruu creation is meant, others applv it to the
Jewish prople, others to the ^-.^V, others to the
(rentilcs, and others to the fa'/en spirits, both
angelic and human:' One writer applies the
passaae to the tcMe creatvm, saying : " For-
so indeed the scripture represents it, not that
this world shall be destroyed, but that it shall
bei new made; that as the whole creation is
made subject to vanity by Adam's ci,rse, so
It shall be redeemed from vanity and corrup-
tion too, when mail is : It shall be |.ur-ed by
fire, and a new incorruptible world shall
sprmg out of its ashes. 'For the earnest
expeclation of the creature (which must sig-
nify this visible crention) waiteth for the
manifestation of the sons of God.' "* Dur-
ham f says, concerning this passage, "the
scope purposely is to prove the glorious con-
dition the saints have to expect after this, and
that such OS even the senseless creatures wait
and long for, as being to be made jiartakers
^Lii^'^^fent-riiUno^^ of the sons

* Bishop Burnett, p. 394. ' "

tBrowD, p. 302, 303.

■wsa**

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

419

of God ; where observe, that by ' creature; in
the singular number, is understood the universe
ascontradisliiigiiishecl from the ek^ct, and such
a creature as by the siii^of man is made sub-
ject to vanity ; and so is not to be understood
of the whole creation simply, as certainly
neither of angels, nor of the seal of the blessed.
That the creature here mentioned is to be fully
delivered from the effects of sin and the
curse."

Another writer says : « They inquire
whether the vegetables and creatures endued
with sense, shall all he restored , or some only ?

'^'o ^'1 this, I answer, that not only all

animals, but all vegetab'es too, yea, and their
seeds also, will doubtless be mortified and des-
troyed by the violence of the conflaoration ;
but that the same should be restored, and
endued with eternal life, I htoiv no reason we
have to believe ; but r;ither that ihrre shall he
neiv ones produced, either of the same with
the former, or of diff^erent kinds, at the will,
and by the power of the Almighty Creator'
and for those ends and uses for which he shall
design them." * A nother writer, whose praise

^ " " " ' ' " I ■

* Bishop Burnett's Notes, p. 384.

i' k^ ''^'- i

• *- ■''^- ' *-'^%.mmmiJU^ms!mmvm.

4*20 LECTURES ON THE

is in all the churches, says : " But will < the
creature,' will even the brute creation always
remain in this deplorable condition ? God for-
bid that we should affirm this; yea, or even
entertain such a thought. While ' the whole
creation groaneth together,' ....... their groans

are not dispersed in idle air, but enter into the

e?5rs of Him that made them they

themselves also shall be delivered

from the present < bondage of corruption,' into
a measure of < the glorious liberty of the chil-
dren of God.' Nothing can be more express,
Away with vulgar prejudices, and let the plain
word of God take place. They < shall be
delivered from the bondage of corruption,
into glorious liberty,' even a measure, accord-
ing as they are capable, of the liberty of the
children of God. The whole brute creation
will, then, undoubtedly, be restored, not only
to the vigor, strength and swiftness, which
they had at their creation, but to a far higher
degree of each than they ever enjoyed. They
will be restored, not only to that measure of
understanding which they had in paradise,
but to a degree of it, as much higher than
that, as the understanding of an elephant is

the

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 421

beyond that of a worm. And whatever
affections they had in the garden of God, will
be restored with vast increase ; being exalted
and refined in a manner which we ourselves

are not now able to comprehend No

rage will be found in any creature, no fierce-
ness, no cruelty, or thirst for blood. So far
from it, that « the wolf shall dwell with the
lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the young lion together, and a
little child shall lead them. The cow and
the bear shall feed together; and the lion
shall eat straw like the ox. They shall not
hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain.' —
Isa. xi. 6, ifec." *

With regard to this subject, we have to
remark, that all these orders of creation existed
before the fall of man ; and we have no reason
to think if man had not sinned, that these
creatures would have suffered or died, for
death entered Iry sin ; this view encourages the
supposition that if our earth has to be created
anew, and man is to occupy it in a paradisaical
state, why should not the creatures also be
restored 1 Paradise restored would scarcely
* Wesley's Works, vol. vi., p. 248, 2*9.

422

LECTURES ON THE

be equal to the Paradise which was lost, if
these were wanting. Yet, after all, it appears
very evident that the inferior creatures which
maybe Jiving when the conflagration begins,
must perish before that catastrophe is con-
cluded , and as we have no plain intimation of
their resurrection, and the resurrection of those
countless myriads which died before them,
the much controverted passige scureelyseems
to be sufficiently plain to lead us to the con-
clusion, that every animal, every fish, every
fowl, every reptile, and every insect, that has
ever existed on this globe, shall occupy a
place in the new earth.

We shall conclude this lecture with two
quotations. Bishop Burnett says :

"The revolutions which our nature, and
the world above us, have hitherto undergone,
are pretty well agreed upon: these are "facts'
which have been established upon the credit
of the sacred history, and confirmed by the
experience of men in all ages. What is
future is not so certain, for this very reason,
because it is future. Scripture, indeed, treats
no less of this, but then as it necessarily treats
of It in the way of prophecy, and as all pro-

WECOND ADVEi^T OF CHRIST.

423

phecy is dark and more difficult to be under-
stood before the completion, so no wonder that
those prophecies which relate to the future
renovation and redintegration of man and
nature are no better apprehended."

Our last quotatit)n is from the able pen of
Dr. Gumming: "Oh, let it not be forgotten
that our preparntion for this glorious city, is
not nn acquaintance with its mineralogical or
geologic;* 1 characteristics, nor a poeiic sym-
pathy with its glory and pure splendor. We
may be poets able to sing all sweet songs, and
painters able to tronsfer to the canvas all
bright scenes; we may be able to group and
catalogue the stars, describe a d classify the
flowers, and yet not be Christians. It is the
pure in henrt who shall see God. It is they
who are like Ghrist, who shall live eternally
with him. It is holy character that abides
for ever. The New Jerusalem is being pre-
prired for those who have new hearts, new
affinities, new affections, and new natures.
Gorruptinn cannot inherit its incorrupt ion.
Unsanctifled feet may not tread its golden
streets, nor impure eyes rest upon its beauty,
nor one unregenerate heart beat amid its

424

li^

LECTURES ON THE

J eUness. There is but one essential frun-

neaven. No qnalification will be acceuted
as a substitute for this. accepted

"Make sure of a new heart, and you mav

Thtirth^'^i " r- ^''*^^"- -*° ^^^

It „LT 7 '"dispensable qualification-.

It matters not how obscure, desjised or for-
gotten you may now be ; you may be renewed "
and sanctified, and made meet for this < in
hentance of the saints in light,' by that Holy
bpmt who IS promised to all that ask."

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

425

fran-
m be
)m of
epted

may
city,
tion.

for-
wed

* in
loly

LECTURE XIV.

CONCLUDING ADDRESS.

2 Pbt. III. 11-14.

" Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved^
what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conver-
sation and godliness Wherefore, beloved, seeing

that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be
found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

The scene of the earth's conflagration, as it
is described in the holy scriptures, is of so im-
posing a character, that we may naturally
suppose no one can be a spectator of it, or
even view it in prospect, without feelings of
the deepest interest ; the man of the world,
whose only treasure consists in his present pos-
sessions, of friends, houses, lands, or other
perishable materials, may view the picture of
a burning world, as a most destructive cala-
mity, and he may deplore the loss of property
which such an occurrence will cause. The
Christian man, whose treasure is in heaven,

i i

^ LECTURES ON THE

»ng element ,s but a refining fire .„h ,uL

God wjl create a new earth, wh.reiu^d.fe ,!'
eth rigliieoiisness.

'"t"re, between man on this earth anH
man on the new eai-ih ;= „ • \ ''"''• ^^^
»i. ■ Larin, is very iiitimntp T„

fL , f ^ """' ""'' '^>e uses to which

e.r talents are applied; some are fouIdS
the very lowest snale of human nature whose

Foj.ns.,es and habits are of so ^'Vei^^^^^
and viczuus a character, that they 2yl

pronounced .<cartl,,y, sensual, a.^lLtlish^
Wh, e others rise far above -hdr fellows i„

.ellectual iu,provcment and moral rrth

futn.e rewar.l will be in proportion to our
present nnprovement ; to borL the wor 3

ries 'ir^^^' V-''-' " 'he -le of human y
nses through inn„n,cr.b!e s'eps frcm the
brute man .0 the fkM>ng man! This pro!
gression will continue no donl,t in the life to
come, and will preserve the same essential

burnt
Bstroy-
d that
ashes,
iwell-

t and
1, and

. In,

iriety

Hiich
id in
iiose
lUng
y be
ish."
s in
orth,
'■ our
our
ords
nify
the
pro-
3 to
tiaJ

SECOND ADVENT OP CHRIST. 427

relations. In other words, the progress which
we shdl mnke here in knowledge, and in vir-
tue, will determine the point fVom whence we
shall begin our proi^ress in the other life..,.
All tht^ moments of our individual existence
are mdissolubly connected one with another.

; ^e^th is not a break in the chain ; r;

is the link which connects the two lines, or
the two parts of tho chain together.'^* Our
final sentence will b3 founded upon the im-
provement we have made in knowledge and
piety, '-of him to whom much has'' been
given, much shall be reqnired ; and to h.'m
that hath," that is, has improved what hj hath,
*' much shall be given." God will " render
to every man according to his deeds ;" "see-
ing then that ye look (or such things, be dili-
gent that ye may be f.und of him in peace,
without spot and bl:imel ss." Let us now
proc-etl to consider the dnti-s to which our
attention is called in the words of our text :

The Apostle first refers to our conduct
AMONG MEN—" zt'hcU manner of persons ous^ht
yp. to be in all holy conversation .?" The word
rendered ^'' convcrmlion^' m this verse, means

Bp. Buruett, p. 411.

»„ p

428

LECTURES ON THE

as It does elsewhere in scripture, conduct, or
behavwur. The distinction between the church
and the world, between him that feareth God,
and him that feareth him not, is a wide dis-
tmction ; particularly so, in the principles by
which they are actuated ,• « ye are not of the
world, therefore the world hateth you." But
so long as the disciples of Christ are in the
world, they have to do with the world, and
at is of the utmost importance, that we should
not only guard against imbibing the spirit of
the world which would be so injurious to our
piety, but we should exert an influence upcMi
others, which would convince the that we
belong to Christ, that we are men of God
that there is something in religion which they
do not possess 5 as the Apostle expresses it, our
conversation should be holy. It may be well
to mention a few particulars as illustrative
of all.

First : our expectations of the world should
not be too great. Human natu \% degenerate^
"the heart in man is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked," we ought
not then to expect the waters which flow from
such a fountain, to be better than the fountain

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

429

ductf or

church
th God,
ide dis-
ples by

of the
" But

in the
Id, and
should
pirit of

to our
e upctti
lat we
i God,
hthey
it, our
B well
rative

hould
leratCf
TQ all
ought
from
ntaiii

itself, or to rise above their own level. We
should not look for such high moral integrity,
for such care in the use of language so as
neither to undervalue or overrate the quality
of an article ; we must not expect their words
to be always instructive and chaste ; although
all these excellencies are often met with in
men of noble spirit, whose moral training
has given them a high sense of propriety ; but
to expect these virtues in the world generally,
would only result in disappointment and
grief. Christ said unto the Jews, " how can
ye, being evil, speak good things, for out
of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh."

In our conversation with them, there is spe-
cial need of caution that we sin not with our
tongue. The tongue needs to be restrained
in a professing Christian, as much as in any
other, for it was of such the Apostle spoke,
when he said, « if any man among you seem
to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue,
but deceiveth his own heart, this man's re-
ligion is vain." — James i. 26. Moses spoke
<* unadvisedly with his lips," and for that of-
fence he was not permitted to enter the

4.30

lECTURES ON THB

Prom:sed and of Canaan, but l,e had to die

the .-.Iderness. Many „,e,nb.,s of Chrt

tmn churches are accustomed to give such

hWty to this unruly naember, that^Iey ^p

he foundation of their own piety, gr.eve'a.^'

injure their o^vn b^st friends; and not un

ing u " Ih. 7- ''""^^''°^ ■^''"'*"-« bear-
US fun' ' 'J'°'' '* '^ ''°P^d may be

*d^!i h -T'''^ "^'^ '^^' I'ideth hat.
r*d vith lying Up,, no,, h3 „ „, J^'

slander, is a foo!."_P,.ov. x 18 < r^ ,

thy words thou Shalt be j„s,Ld;„dbr,^
worJs ,ho„ shaU be condemned "^Ma,^ L'f
3^. On the other hand, l,ow for^iM.
right words • " n ,^ft '"r^iWe are

wrath • hf ' ■ ^"''''^' *""^eth away

wrath , but grievous words stir „p an^er "

P-^ov. XV. 1. Let as then f.Ho v ti^'' 1
exan^ple of Dnvid : " Isai.l, I w II t.k L° if

-yways,thatlsi„ not with ™Vtn!:'*i
W.11 keep n,y month with a bridle, whiie the

picked IS before „,e."_rs. xxx,; b'!

but If we behevo that a tiuie is comin.^ when
the wicked shall go away into .< eve: a ,"
fire, then, as we believe, so should we spei^

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 431

" reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffer-
ing and doctrine," that if by any means we
may save some. We are inclined to think,
that the members of the church exert greater
influence over the community than the min-
isters do; they are fir more numerous, they
are much more among worldly people, and
sinners put less restraint upon themselves in
the presence of church members, than in the
presence of christian ministers. In conse-
quence of this, the labors of the pulpit are
often destroyed by the improper conversation
of incautious members; and when ministers
address their people, saying, " ye are our epistle

known and read by all men," it is to be

feared that this truth is not always benefioiul ;
and "all men" who know and read these
living epistles, do not always learn the ^reat
principles of the Gospel, do not invariably
obtain a correct idea of what « pure and un-
defiled religion" is, as they read it in the con-
versation of professors. Tf the conversation of
Christians had been holy, as becometh saints,
how much further the little leaven might
have succeeded in leavening the whole lump ;
but it is to be feared, that sinners who are

*»-!.. ' trt

432

LECTURES ON THE

now cursing, might have been blessing ; souls
that are now begging for a drop of water to
cool their tongues, might have had in them
a well of living water, springing up unto eter-
nal life ; and this the result of professors not
attending to such considerations as the Apos-
tle gives in our text. « Seeing then, that all
these things shall be dissolved, what manner
of persons ought ye to be in all holy conver-
sation and godliness."

« In our budness transactions, what manner
of persons ought we to be ? That Christian
men may " buy and sell and get gain" with-
out sinning against God, cannot be doubted ;
nay, it is said, « if any provide not for his
own, and specially for those of his own house,
he hath denied the faith, and is worse than
an infidel."-! Timothy v. 8. So that men
should be "not slothful in business;" but
while becoming attention is paid to the
world, we ought to beware of worldlyminded-
ness, for if Christian people are as grasping
after this perishable world, as those persons
are, whose only treasure is in this earth, thev
will not only become earthly in their own
propensities, but they will throw a dark sha-

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

433

; souls
'^ater to
1 them
;o eter-
ors not
! Apos-
hat all
lanner
onver-

lanner
ristian

with-
ibted ;
or his
house,
i than
: men
" but
3 the
ncled-
sping
arsons

thev

own
: sha-

dow over the Gospel itself, by which its light
will be so obscured, that half-awakened sin-
ners looking at such professors, will naturally
miss their way in forming their future char-
acter, by the imperfect models of worldly
professors. While the Christian man is a pat-
tern m honesty, integrity, fidelity, punctuality,
beneficence, sobriety, and spirituality, he will
not only secure to himself a good reward, but
he will put to silence the gainsayers; the
force of his pure character will put down op-
position, and win erring men over to Christ ;
" having your conversation honest among the
Gentiles j that as they speak against you as
evil-doers, they may, by your good works,
which they shall behold, glorify God in the
day of visitation."—! Pet. ii. 12. « What
manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy
conversation and godliness."

This passage reminds us also of our duty
TO God ; " what manner of persons ought we
to be in godliness:' We are fallen creatures,
and much of the derangement caused by our
depravity, consists in the ascendancy of the
animal nature over the rational, of the sensual
over the intellectual and moral j and our duty

434

LKCTlTRfiS ON THE

to God, requires that due attention be paid to
our dispositions and affections; hence God
requires of us that we set our " affection on
things above, not on things on the earth,"
that we « put off anger, wrath, and ma-
lice." Nay, it is even commanded, « thou
Shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mmd." ^^This is the first and great com-
mandment."— Matt. xxii. 37-38. This im-
5)erative duty is most reasonable, when we
think of God as a Being who is, in himself,
every way wortliy of our affection, and that
we are indebted to him for life and health
and all things, especially for the gift of his
Son Jesus Christ, who has redeemed us with
his most precious blood ; and for that state
of felicity which awaits the righteous dead.
But love to God must be viewed as a privi-
lege we may enjoy, as well as a duty we
nnist perform, for the original command to
love God supremely, is attended with the pro-
mise of a work which God would do within
us, " I will circumcise thine heart, and thou
Shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
mmd," &c., thus, to use the words of Bichard

SECOND ADVENT OF CURIST.

435

Watson,* " it brings the sotil into fellowship
with God, real and sensible, because vital ; it
moulds the other affections into conformity
with what God himself wills or prohibits,
loves or hates ; it produces an unbounth^d de-
sire to please him, aud to be accepted of him
in all things ; it is jealous of his honor, un-
wearied in his service, quick to prompt to
every sacrifice in the cause of his truth and
his church ; and it renders all such sacrifices,
even when carried to the extent of suffer-
ing and death, unreluetant and cheerful. It
chooses God ns the chief good of the soul, the
enjnyment of which nssiu'cs its perfect and
etcrnnl interest and happiness. " Whom have
I in heaven but thee 1 and there is none upon
earth that I desire beside thee," is the lan-
guage of every heart, when its love of God
is true in principle, and supreme in degree."
But our duty to Gol comprehends, also,
unwavering faith in thc^se great trutiis which
he has revea'ed to us in his holy word ; some
of those truths are so plain and palpable to our
perceptions, that reason at once assents to
them ; but oth-^rs are fir above the compre-

* Institutes, vol. iii., p. 294.

43G

LECTURES ON THE

hension of man's limited capacity, so that
he IS required to believe what he cannot com-
prehend, but he is not required to believe
what IS contrary to reason. The vital doctrine
of a Trinity in Unity is far beyond our present
understanding as to how it can be, but it is
not beyond om faith, as God has revealed it
m his word. But faith, a firm conviction,
that God, in all his dispensations with us, is
actuated by the purest and noblest principles,
a«id that m his hands "all things work
together for good to them that love God," is
also necessary to the peace and comfort of the
Christian mind ; it saves us from needless
fears and alarms, and leads us to repose in
Orod with all the composure of which the
mind IS susceptible, and has called forth such
expressions as the following, « the Lord gave,
and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the
name of the Lord - "Though he slay me,
yet will I trust in him." " The Lord is my
light and my salvation ; whom shall I fear i
The Lord is the strength of my life ; of
whom shall I be afraid f '— Ps. xxvii. 1 . This
faith, then, " respects the supply of all our
need, temporal and eternal j the wise and

-it-'

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

437

gracious ordering of all our concerns ; the
warding off, or the mitigation of calamities and
afflictions ; our preservation from all that can,
upon the whole, be injurious to us ; our guid-
ance through life ; our hope in death, and our
future felicity in another world." -

Another habitual state of mind which be-
longs to the truly pious, is reverence ; in Scrip-
ture language, it is the " fear of the Lord ;"
not, however, that slavish dread of him, which
belongs to the awakened and unpardoned
transgressor ; nor the fear of distrust, as if God
would desert us in a trying hour, for these are
contrary to the filial affection and abiding
faith of the children of God. This reverence
comprehends a due and solemn regard for the
sacredness of his name, so as not to use it in
a trifling manner ; also, a high and most res-
pectful esteem for his holy word, and never
to quote it for trivial purposes. And also, an
abiding conviction, that we are liable to his
displeasure. This reverence restrains our
faith from degenerating into presumption ;
our love into familiarity, our joy into careless-
ness. It nurtures hu rnility, watchfulness, and
the spirit of prayer. It induces a reverent

438

LECTURES OH THK

habit of think-ng and speaking of God. and
gives solemnity to the cxerci.es of devotion
It r^resenls «„ to us nnder its true aspect, as'
dangerous, and c..rr„pti„g to ,he s. „1 ; as
darkening our i.respecs of a future life, a„d
injurious to o..r peace in the present

But the tern, " g, dlines.," in our text
refers to our m„u.,rd acU; as well as our'

nward depositions; and as these are essen
.ally necessary to our being rewarded as
t'good and fafthfnl" .ervunts, they rrnui e
o.. attentt-on at this ti,.e. The lo^J^Z
God, ,s a duty so clearly set forth, and ^o
strongly etyoiued, in the sacred writ,;g?th;t
man cannot nenhct -t inrl h„ 1 1 ■
sin-ht nf r„ I ® I'lamele^s in the

sight of God ; „ay,o„r own spiritnahty ismade
to depenu «o nu.eh upon it, that „eoi„et o^
wo>-sh,p IS ttntnediately followed by rehVil^

declension, and, on the other hand,'^ dilC
and d,,o„t tt,„,. ,„ ,^ ^.^.^^^ J . n

foster a s,„r,t of piety, and the spiritual lis

Will sonieiimes or-nr ].», i J'"e"non

finnt .1 ' " ''® ^^''11 '-'k'- heed

that they are not excuses. And as he would
n ova and serve the creature niore than the
Creator, he will see that the hinderances are

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

439

text.

such as would keep him from other engagements,
on week-days ;" and if tliat of which we
complain would not ba sufficient to keep us
from bus'ness on the week-days, it should not
be sufficient to keep us from worship on the
Lord's day ; nor prevent us from attending to
our usual relii^ioas exercises on any day. Mr.
Jay says: "Nothing can be mor;3 piinful to
the feelings of a Minister, when he comrs to
water his flock, than to find many of them
are not at the well."

Prayer, to the Giver of all good, is one
mode of worship peculiarly adopted to us in
our present condition, and upon the neg'ect
or proper performance of it, almost everything
depends. " Ask, and it shall be given you ;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall
be opened unto you. Be careful for nothing,
but in every thing, by prnyer and supplica-
tion, with thanksgiving, let your requests be
made known unto God."* And as it is our
privilege thus to bring all our affliirs before
God, whether they are temporal or spiritual,
habitual or occis'onal,and circumstintial ; to
restrain prayer before God, is but too clear an
• Matt. vii. t; Luke xxi. 36; 1 Thess. v. 17.

440

LICTURIS ON THE

evidence that all is not right within, and that
those persons who are now praying less than
formerly, ought in reality to pray more, that
they may recover their strength before they
go hence.

Again, if we consider what manner of per-
sons we ought to be in all « godliness," we
must not loose sight of another class of duties
God has enjoined upon us, viz. : to sustain and
extend the institutions of the church. The
teanctification of the Christian Sabbath is a
duty fearfully disregarded by multitudes who
bear the Christian name ; yea, its high and
sacred claims are but seldom sufficiently con-
sidered by members of our churches ; and
hence worldly conversation is with many the
only way in which they spend much of the
hallowed time of the consecrated day j again,
the least excuse, and often a mere disinclina-
tion to attend the house of prayer, is the rea-
son why their seat in the sanctuary is vacant,
or occupied by another.

The efficient maintenance of the Christian
Ministry, both at home and abroad, is a duty
palpably plain to every attentive reader of the
Bible. The divine law, which made provision

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

441

for the priesthood in the Jewish Church, is,
in its principle, no less applicable to the Chris-
tian community ; and yet, who of our church
members gives to the cause as the Lord has
prospered him ; what owner of an estate,
what man of business, what daily laborer,
consecrates to God one-tenth of bis income'?
And yet God has appointed and required this
as an equitable proportion of every man's
means. Mr. Jay says: "A Minister must
be very mean-spirited if he regards his
salary as alms or benefactions from his peo-
ple. What they give, they more than have
out in services ; and " the laborer is worthy of
his hire." Has not God ordained, that they
who preach the gospel, should live of the gos-
pel % And is this law not founded in equity
and justice 1 Would not the same talents the
man devotes to the service of the sanctuary,
provide for himself and his family, if employed
in secular concerns % This is a delicate point
for a minister to handle ; and he would never
bring it forward, if there was not a cause.
Let church-members compare their contribu-
tions with the law of God, and let those espe-
cially wha pay more annually to the most

ill

442

LECTURES ON THE

menial of their attendants, than to the shep-
herd of their souls ; while others with all
their commendation, never confer iq^on him
one token of respect in their lives.*

The prosperity oi the church of Christ, both
in piety ^nd numbers, is what greatly concerns
every Christian man. The Apostles were to
preach the gospel to ^< every creature," but
the private members are not to be inopera-
tive ; they, in conjunction with their ministers,
kre God's witnesses, the salt of the earth, the
light of the ivorld, and they must let their
light so shine before men, that others may see
their good works, and glory our Father which
is in heaven.

The growth of grace in the individual
members of the church, is what concerns the
whole community of believers, for they are
one body in Christ, and we are all members
one of another, so that if disease begins in

• We would add to the above that there are members
in our churches, whose circumstances are comfortable,
who do not give for a minister's services, year after year^
what they would pay for the labour of an ox or a horse,
even for one day. Are these persons guiltless before
God?

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

443

one part, it affects, more or less, th3 whole
frame, and each member is exposed to the
infection ; we ought therefore to feel as much
interest in the spiritual health and prosperity
of every member of the cluirch, as we feel
in the safety and well-being of every member
of our body.

But our sense of duty should carry us beyoixd
the present number of church-members, and
a constant aim at accessions sho^^M be kept
before the mind. Our efforts should be to
make converts to Christ, to turn men from
darkness to light, and frojai the power of Sa-
tan unto God; and this duty we consider
belongs to all believers, male and female.
But of how many professors may it be truth-
fully said, " Israel is an empty vine, he bring-
eth forth fruit unto himself." (Hosea x. 1.)

Thirdly, — our text admonishes us to live
IN SUCK A STATE as wc should desirc to be in
when Christ comes. " Wherefore, beloved,
seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent
that ye may he found of Mm in peace, tvitJiout
spot, and blameless?'*

The first particular here mentioned by the
Apostle, is <' peace." The carnal mind is

•."■Sj^V!.%=-*^^,i,-

444

IKCTURES ON THE

eumity against God, it is not subject to his
aw neither can be." This is the state of
the human soul by nature, and it sliows itself
m the conduct of the sinner, as he transgresses
the divnie law, and thus, by open hostility,
proves himself to be an enemy to God by
Wicked works.-Our merciful Creator has,
I'owever, made provision for our reconcilia-
tion, by the death of our Lord Jesus Christ
wlio « ?s our peace," that is, the procurer of
«, and he has reconciled both Jews and Gen-
t.les « unto God in one body by the cross,
having slam the enmity thereby.''_Eph. ii
16. Yet, notwithstanding this most gracious
provision made for sinful man, there are mul-
titudes of our feUow men, who, instead of
seeking " to be found of God in peace, are
treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath
and revelation of the righteous judgment of
God. -Rom. ii. 5. And how many wlio
profess to be tho disciples of Christ, are
neglecting this inestimable blessing of peace
'with God ; their deficiency in personal piety
their want of punctuality in attending to the
duties of religion, nay, the utter inattentimi
to some positive duties, clearly show that

rii

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

445

they are not diligent to be found of God in
peace, for the Divine Being can scarcely be
reconciled to the conduct of stewards who
have wasted his goods, to servants who have
])een slothful in his employment. We ear-
nestly beseech you, dear brethren, not to look
at a religious life as consisting in the enjoy-
ments of our own heart alone ; you are called
upon to labor, and sometimes to suffer, for
Christ's sake ; and, upon your diligent perfor-
mance of your d lilies, will depend the appro-
val of your Lord and Master in the great day
of accounts. "Be diligent," then, "to be
found of God in peace."

But the Apostle also nrges upon us the duty
of being found of God " without spot.^^ The
note of Henry on this passage is very forcible
for a man of his creed ; he says : " that ye be
found of Christ ivithout S2)ot, and blameless, fol-
lotv after holiness as well as peace ; and even

spotless and perfect we must be pressing

towards spotless purity, absolute perfec-
tion. Christians must h^ perfecting holiness,
that they may be not only blamelesss before
men, but also in the sight of God. And all

this deserves and needs the greatest diligence \

^1 »wi»°BM»*>«'^a»Jii,Ntfe,

446

LECTURES ON THE

he who does this work negligently, can never
do it successfully." The purity of the church,
HI tlie sanctiiication of its members from all
«in, is a subject largely dwelt uix)n by the
sacred writers ; it has been the design of God,
iu all his dealhigs with the children of men,
ever since the promise that th^ seed of tlie
woman should bruise the serpent's head ;.and
It is the happy state in which all the recovered
, from the human flimily will eventually be
found in heaven. But this slate of Christian
lioliness is not attained without the use of
the a})pointed means, for we must " work out
our own salvation," while " God works in us
to will and to do of his god pleasure." God
does not perform this worl in us absohitely,
or irrespectively of man's co-operation ; it is
only while man works outwardly, that God
works inwardly, for the accomplishment of
this object ; we see, from this point of view,
the force and importance of the Apostle's
exhortation, that we " be diligent to be found
of God without spot."

The Apostle concludes this address by fur-
ther urging the people of God to be fo- nd of
him " blameless," which word we apply to

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST.

never
hurcli,
3m all
)y the
f God,
: men,
of Uic
L j.aiid
3vcred
lly be
ristian
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God
iitoly,
; it is
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ostle's
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y fur-
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ply to

their whole character and conduct. The
importance to be attached to our present
course, can only ba duly estimated by the
effect it will have upon our final state in the
world to come, when " all that are in the
graves shall hear his voice, and shall come
forth ; they tliat have done tzood, un<o the
resurrection of life : and they that have done
evil, unto the resurrection, of damnation ." If,
then, our final destiny is to depend so mucli
upon the correctness of our present conduct,
how necessary is it that every Christian
should be diligent to be found of (^od " blame-
less," when he shall come "in flaming fire,
taking vengeance on them that knew not God,
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ." Each act must be looked at, not in
its isolated state, but in relation to its conse-
quences ; it is the seed of the future, and its
fruits, even in this life, may be a thousand-fold,
upon ourselves and others ; and ten times ten
thousand-fold in the world to come ; " be not
deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever
a man soweth, that shall he also reap ; for he
that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap
corruption 5 but he that soweth to the Spirit,

LECTtJRES ON THE

shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."—
Gal. vi. 7, 8.

But how is our diligence to be directed so
as to secure our being found of God in peace,
without spot and blameless? We answer,
that a continued effort to destroy the « body
of sin" within ns that " we should not serve
sni," " casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the
^knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
every thought to the oljedience of Christ."—
2 Cor. X. 5. This is one point continually to
be aimed at, and for the success of such efforts
we should diligently use the means of grace.
While attending the instructions and exhor-
tations of the pulpit, we should learn what
we can from every address, and apply it to
our practice, so as to bring ourselves more and
mors into conformity to the will of God in
all things. Those times- of refreshing from
the presence of the Lord, with which we are
so highly favored in the sanctuary, should
make us both wiser and better every time we
are so privileged.— The holy Scriptures, which
are so " profitable for doctrine, for re'prooi, for
correction, and for instruction in righteous-

SECOND ADVENT OF CHulST.

ness," should be so to ns each time we read
them, or hear them read ; and thus, by dili-
gence, "the man of God may be perfect,

throughly furnished unto all good works."

2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. The social means of grace,
ill which we are found, should lead to great
and honest search" igs of heart; and the state-
ments and remarks of others should remind
ns of our remaining sin, our short-coming,
and the im perfec. on of our best performan-
ces ; and also direct us to that "blood
which cleanseth from all sin." The closet,
perhaps the most sacred place where Christ is'
manifested to his devout people, should be
frequently visited, where we should unbosom
our hearts before God ; confess our sins, lay
them upon the sacrifice of Christ, and leave

them there ; it should be the place where

we "wait upon the Lord, and renew our
strength ; that we may mount up with wings

as eagles, run and not be weary, walk

and not faint." Every confession of sin should
be such as to relieve our conscience, — every
prayer so offered as to refresh our souls, and
every visit to the closet should quahfy us more
fully for the duties of life. If we thus give

450

LECTURES ON THE

diligence we shall make our "callinjr and

election sure,", . . .v^e shall « never fall," —
but an entrance shall be ministered unto us
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." — 2 Pet.
i. 10, 11.

In concluding this lecture, we shall offer
a few reasons for the diligence which the
Apostle inculcates:

Because of the shortness and uncertainty of
the time we may have to do this work in ; the
utmost limit allowed to human life in this
world, is exceedingly short, compared with
that eternity which is beyond ; the comparison
of one moment to a million years, bears no
proportion to man's life on earth, and eternity
which is to come ; and then it is so uncertain
whether we shall live another vear, another
month, or even a day, that we have not a
moment tu be lost ; " upon this moment eter-
nity depends; as the leaf falls, so it lies," and
as death leaves so judgment unds us. Eternal
life is now to be lost or won. It surely becomes
us, then, to be diligent, that we may " be
found of God in peace, without spot, and
blameless.' '

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. 451

Holiness is necessary to enable us to escape
the miseries of hell, and to win the happiness
of heaven. God will render " indignation
and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every
soul of man that doeth evil."— Rom. ii. 8
Now, to escape that misery, we must <' follow
peace with all men, and holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord".— Ileb. xii
H. Again, it is said, " have your fruit unto
holiness, and the end eternal life."— Rom. vi.
22. " Eternal life is the gift of God." He*
is not obliged to bestow it upon any man ;
he may make what condition he pleases for
the obtaining of it. No man hath any right
to it— no man can lay any claim to it, but
from this donation of God, and from the per-
formance of these conditions : « Blessed are
they that do his commandments, that they
may have a right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the city."-Rev.
xxn. 14. But holiness is necessary from the
very nature of the thing; holiness is the very
quality and complexion of heaven, and
nothing that is impure or unclean can enter
there. A wicked person could find no busi-
ness or employment in heaven, nothing to
satisfy his corrupt and depraved affections,

r|m«Wiir

452

LECTURES.

inclinations and appetites; he would there
meet with no snitaljit ■ company ; no persons
whose conversation ho could take any delight
and complacency in, "for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? or what
communion hath light with aurknessf — 2
Cor. vi. 14. Thus, holiness is necessary,
whether we look at it as God's appointment,
or whether we consider those who occupy a
place in heaven.*

Lastly, we ought to be diligent, if we bear
in mind, that even in heaven, " every one will
he rewarded according to his ivorksJ*^ That
servant who, with one pound, gained ten
pounds, was made ruler over ten cities ; and
he who, with one pound, gained but jive
pounds, was set over five cities, (Luke. xix.
16-19.) If, then, heaven is so desirable in
itself, it is also desirable in its degrees, and, in
this sense, we ought to " covet earnestly the
best gifts j" — hero our ambition need not be
limited, w^e may with propriety long for the
" uppermost seats" in heaven, aspire to its
highest honors ; and the more earnestly we
seek for them, the inore highly we shall be

lauded of God.

• Bishop Burnett, p. 386. -

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■ "^^I^^BI^^fer-. ■

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